Covers: Chemistry in Photos winners

December 2019

Gingerbread mini bath bombs

Angela Swartz from the Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School in New Hamburg, ON sent in this cover photo of festive holiday bath bombs she made in the shape of mini gingerbread cookies.

DIY holiday bath bombs

Our Science Department enjoys planning themed activities that correspond to different holidays. Last year we decided to make bath bombs with our classes on the last day of school before the winter holiday. This is an activity that is easy to set up, can be carried out in one class period, and has minimal clean up. Author: Angela Swartz, Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School, Baden, Ontario

November 2019

A tribute to Carey Bissonnette

This November issue is dedicated to Carey Bissonnette, who sadly passed away in May of this year. Many of you will remember him as the Chem 13 News Exam and Avogadro Exam coordinator as well as for his series "Tough Questions." We have included a heartfelt tribute by Bill Power, Chair of Waterloo's Department of Chemistry, a reprint of Carey's Tough Questions series, as well as tributes from readers.

October 2019

The Mendeleev Mosaic

Students, teachers, and chemistry enthusiasts from 15 countries around the world submitted 327 original portraits of Mendeleev, which were then used to create a larger mosaic portrait of Dmitri Mendeleev himself. 

September 2019

Indicator puddle art

Isobel Everest, Bedford Girls' School, Bedford, UK - also known as @crocodilechemist on Twitter - sent in this cover photo of art created with droplets of colourful indicators. Read more about how she did it, plus see more of her artwork in this month's cover art feature.

Indicator droplet art

The inspiration for making pictures from droplets of chemicals first came from a Chemistry Club session at our school. Author: Isobel Everest, Bedford Girls' School, Bedford, United Kingdom

Ironing out smelting technology

Many years ago I attended an ASM Materials Science Teachers’ Camp in Ottawa that covered polymers, ceramics, metals and composite materials. During one session they discussed how western society had lost the Roman recipe for concrete after the empire collapsed. Author: David Robinson, Toronto District Christian High School, Woodbridge, Ontario

April 2019 issue

Marbling Easter eggs, a fun themed activity to highlight polarity by Jessica Zwaschka, Spearfish, South Dakota

March 2019 issue

Doug Ragan from Hudsonville High School, Michigan captured the beauty of red fluorescing chlorophyll extracted from spinach in a 100-mL beaker.

February 2019 issue

Another great cover from the chemistry classroom? It is not what you think! Thank you Vivian Templeton who teaches at Toronto District Christian High School, Woodbridge, Ontario for sending this in!

December 2018 - January 2019 issue

Interested in growing a beautiful chemistree? Let this month's cover inspire you!

Classic acid and base titration in pink

????

Keeping an eye on puddle chemistry - front cover

The beautiful eye image on the front cover is a microscale experiment, which is a combined effort of Andres Tretiakov, Kensington Park School and Bob Worley at CLEAPSS in the United Kingdom. This “puddle chemistry”, an affectionate term for microscale reactions in drops, takes place on a liquid crystal temperature sensor.

Polymer fun - front cover

The cover slime-stretching photo captures the result of students making their own products in our organic chemistry unit.

Art and Chemistry

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, known for his influential paintings, his ingenious use of cubism and for inventing the technique of constructed sculpture. He was an exceptional artist of his time and painted not what was admired by the world, but what he saw. He was an abstract painter, just as chemistry is a very abstract topic that comes in many shapes and explanations.

Making personalized stirring rods

May 2018 cover

How great is it for students to get to experience working in the lab, all while creating a useful piece of lab equipment that can be used for the remainder of the school year? Within the first month of school, my 10th grade chemistry students perform a series of lab experiences. They practice techniques such as heating a test tube, reading a thermometer to the proper number of digits and — always a student favorite — making their own glass stir rod.

April 2018

Glowing flowers

Using the camera on her phone, Chloe Hoang, a student at Hilliard Bradley High School, Hilliard Ohio captured these glowing flowers under black light. Teachers Courtney Goodwin and Jennifer Kieffer organize monthly Chemistry Club meeting.

Growing copper crystals

I have been fortunate to have attended two ASM Material Camps for educators. I knew after having attended the first day of Part 1 that I would be starting my new school year with a copious amount of relevant material. The material was presented in such a manner that I could easily go back to my classes and add to my repertoire.

Beautiful copper solutions -- Products of a Remsen demonstration

A Florence flask at the end of the Remsen Demonstration.

Fluorescent Chemis-tree

The Fluorescent Chemis-tree on the front cover was created by Brian Wagner, a professor of chemistry, at the University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI.

Quantum dots: Harnessing the nanoscopic rainbow

I co-instruct and coordinate an undergraduate materials and nanoscience (MNS) lab at the University of Waterloo. One experiment in 2nd year consistently stands out as my students’ favourite, and it involves the synthesis and characterization of “capped” cadmium selenide (CdSe) “quantum dots” (QDs).

Spooky pumpkin

October 2017...

September 2017

cover

Cobalt complex ions: Le Châtelier’s Principle

This is a favourite of the students

iPhone and prism glasses

What can you do with an iPhone and prism glasses

Sodium in water

Noah Landiault, a grade 11 student, captured this photo during a lab on the periodic trends.

Native copper with silver

Chris Miedema, a teacher from Ashbury College, Ottawa wowed readers with this amazing photo...

Beautiful coloured flames

Colorful flames captured the attention of our class...

Littlest chemis-tree

A meaningful science-based activity on the last day of school before winter holidays is important.

Need a light?

This photo shows the combustion of magnesium inside a block of dry ice, a demo performed at the University of Waterloo Science Open House Chemistry Show as part of National Chemistry Week. Although dry ice is very cold (-78 °C) and CO2 is used in some fire extinguishers, Mg (once ignited) will undergo a redox reaction with CO2 to produce MgO and carbon. This dazzling reaction produces a very bright glow and lights up a darkened room. Photo taken by Martin Schwalbe.

Let the sparks fly

Sarah Langlois captured the spectacular reaction between potassium and water in a series of photos. The photo on the left shows the characteristic purple flame of this reaction.

Up close and freezing: Chemistry in Pictures Winner

Jack Glaser, a student in Jenn Wagner’s class at Scarsdale High School, Scarsdale, New York submitted this amazing photo of an aqueous solution freezing.

A crafty chemistry set

Breaking beakers

A crafts and chemistry -- what could be better?

Chemistry in Pictures contest

Email Jean Hein jhein@uwaterloo.ca. Deadline June 30, 2016. Include a descriptive paragraph. High resolution photos if possible.

Magnesium photo

Burning magnesium is raised out of the crucible with tongs to capture the front cover photo. Elizabeth Zushma also sent in the above photo of magnesium burning.

Let the sparks fly on Valentine’s Day

Chemistry in Pictures winner

A perfect spark is created for Valentine's Day...

Happy holidays

Chemis-tree

Can you name all the equipment used to make this Chemis-tree?

A star in a cup

Chemistry in Pictures winner

Many readers will recognize this common high school experiment to determine the empirical formula of magnesium oxide.

Mole Day fun

What can you do with a stuffed mole?

Smoldering reaction

Chemistry in Pictures winner

Honors chemistry student Dominick Leskiw took a succession of photos of the spontaneous combustion of potassium permanganate and glycerin. This was an end of the year activity, and the demonstration revolved around discussion of redox reactions.

Chemistry in Pictures: May cover

Below are just a couple of the past winners of the annual Chemistry in Pictures contest that have been on the front cover of Chem 13 News. We are proud to showcase moments in the chemistry classroom.

Zinc metal in a solution of copper(II) sulfate and sulfuric acid from Beautiful Chemistry Website

Recommended link

The cover photo is from BeautifulChemistry.net, an amazing website for both you and your students.

"Whoosh Bottle" and safety discussion

Chemistry in Pictures winner

This photo gives Chem 13 News the opportunity to share a teacher’s frightening experience with this demonstration. It informs and reminds readers about necessary safety considerations.

Scientists in love

After being inspired by examples in Chem13 News, I assigned my 9th and 10th grade physical science students the task of creating scientific valentines...

A collection of chemis-trees

Chemis-trees created from classrooms across North America

A bright star

Chemistry in Pictures winner

This is an oldie but a goodie...

Send a Mole Day greeting card

Mole Day Greeting Card to send out to celebrate the big day.

Science and beauty in a soap bubble

Chemistry in Pictures winner

An everyday example of beautiful science: Student Cole Thompson photographed this large soap bubble on an overhead projector during a physics lesson on thin film interference.

Emerald-coloured crystals: Chemistry in Pictures winner

Ed Escudero from Summit Country Day School, Cincinnati OH sent in this wonderful photo of “green” crystals.

Chemistry in Pictures Winner: Lycopodium powder

Susan Yochum from Seton Hill University, Greensburg PA sent in photographic proof of the effects of surface area on a combustion reaction. The dramatic result of spraying lycopodium powder through the flame of a candle is captured in the photo!