Tinkering

Chapter 9. Chemistry

Floating and Sinking with Colors, and Exploring Chemical Reactions

Figure 9-1. A cup full of chemistry

Ahhh, the wonders of a chemistry set! Mixing chemicals in a test tube and watching the resulting reaction is a visceral urge deeply seated in the psyche of every fourth grader. Safety is first, though, and many chemicals are not at all safe. Commercial chemistry sets try to profit from the urge while guarding the safety of the child. It is equally secure and quite a bit cheaper to limit the experimentation to common substances used for cooking (not the ones used for cleaning—that can get dangerous in a hurry). Even though there’s ...