Resources for States of Matter Demos

Review terms:

• General:
  • Dry erase board or board with key words that can be stuck up to display.
  • safety goggles.
  • cart.
  • storage box for transport.
• Solids: assorted small solid object of varying density for possible later use; for example, rock, pumice, wood, aluminum rod segment, cork.
• Liquids:
  • graduated cylinder, clear plastic cup, measuring beaker, Erlenmeyer flask for containers with different shapes.
  • assorted liquids with different viscosities: alcohol, baby oil, glycerine and corn syrup.
  • large (20 mL or larger) syringe half filled with water and sealed with hot glue or epoxy.
• Gases:
  • large clear plastic jar like a 1 gal ice tea jar from a place like WalMart.
  • clear plastic cup.
  • glass tube seal with NO₂.
  • large (20 mL or larger) syringe half filled with air and sealed.
  • plastic Coke bottles (12 or 16 oz with classic shape is best); whole in one.
  • party balloon large enough to fit over the opening to try to inflate into the bottle.
• Plasmas:
  • Tessla coil
  • spectral tubes--neon recommended as one
  • fluorescent light bulb

Liquid Nitrogen:

• 4-L LN₂ dewar.
• large beaker (600 mL).
• pad to protect the table surface.
• Qualex 350Q balloons; might have to be special ordered by a party store.
• flash light that straps to the wrist preferable.
• balloon pump from party store.
• seam ripper or other small sharp tool for punching a hole in the balloon.
• rubber sheet about 1/16" thick cut into small wedges
• hammer
• wooden block; cypress for example.
• wood splints to test for N₂ and O₂.
• saturated lime water made from pickling lime in seasonings section of grocery; store in tightly capped plastic bottle to exclude CO₂.
• test tube (about 1.5 cm x 12 cm).
• racket ball or other object to break.
• racket ball canister with hole cut into lid, latex rubber gloves, velcro loop, ring clamp, small Petri dish that the bottom of the canister will fit into.
• butane lighter with clear walls to show a gas condensed under pressure.
  • container with water (graduated cylinder or clear plastic jar from above).
  • small but thick rubber band like those on fresh broccoli
• internal combustion engine diversion:
  • 500 or 1000 mL polyethylene bottle.
  • two bolts mounted in walls; important that they be secured inside and out so that they don't fly out with the explosion.
  • cork (not rubber stopper).
  • 95 % ethanol.
  • Tessla coil (above).

Dry ice:

• small ice chest.
• container with water (graduated cylinder or clear plastic jar from above).
• small (1 gal) aquarium.
• bubble solution.
• votive candles and something to elevate one candle about 3/4" from floor of aquarium.
• clear plastic cup (above).
• large beaker (above).
• film canister with friction lid or plastic test tube with rubber septum.
• lime water test solution (above).
• pH indicator; bromocresol green from WalMart aquarium supplies, for example; dilute NaOH if local water is acidic, which it usually is.
• translucent plastic straws.
• two hemostats.
• for density diversion:
  • aluminum cans of assorted diet and non diet beverages; large clear plastic jar (above)
  • 2-L clear plastic bottle with cap.
  • eyedropper with rubber bulb.
  • small stainless steel nuts or washers to act as ballast in the droppers.
  • eyedroppers that are sealed on the end, prefilled with water; one with hard plastic in bulb to prevent the rubber bulb from compressing.
  • 70 %isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) and water ice.