The goal of this experiment-heavy semilab is to make your life more fun through chemistry. We will show you how to dye your local body of water green for St. Patrick’s day and how to freak out your parents using readily available chemicals. We will focus on the most spectacular and richly colored chemistry. To do that, we will explore the interactions of light with matter.
We will begin by investigating the question why the substances are colored. How does the structure of the molecule influence its color? How can we use the particle in a box model from quantum mechanics to make a tomato stain disappear? Next, we will replicate experiments that use light and colors to answer pressing questions in modern science. We will learn about fluorescence to understand how an orange powder made the Chicago River green. We will then kick it up a notch by making light an active participant in chemical reactions. This is where our conversations about structure and color will really pay off. We will end the semilab on a high note by learning how to general light from chemical reactions and how to use this phenomenon, chemiluminescence, in forensic investigations.
If time permits, we may throw in a wild card. For example, we can measure optical activity of natural molecules and monitor a chemical reaction where optical activities compete. Of course, we have not forgotten about chemical reactions that can freak people out - we will schedule practice time so you can rehearse demonstrations you may do in the future.
Recommended Prerequisites: High-school chemistry or equivalent, in particular, basics of bonding and electronic structure of atoms and molecules, Lewis structures, properties of salts, understanding of solutions and solubilities, including calculations of concentrations, relationship of wavelength and energy.