Copyright 2019 by Rockridge Press, Emeryville, California
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, Rockridge Press, 6005 Shellmound Street, Suite 175, Emeryville, CA 94608.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The Publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the Publisher is not engaged in rendering medical, legal, or other professional advice or services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the Publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an individual, organization, or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the Publisher endorses the information the individual, organization, or website may provide or recommendations they/it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.
For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (866) 744-2665, or outside the United States at (510) 253-0500.
Rockridge Press publishes its books in a variety of electronic and print formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books, and vice versa.
TRADEMARKS: Rockridge Press and the Rockridge Press logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Callisto Media Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Rockridge Press is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
and Interior Designer: Sean Doyle
Art Producer: Karen Beard
Editor: Eliza Kirby
Production Editor: Ashley Polikoff
Photography 2019 Paige Green.
Prop styling by Alysia Andriola.
ISBN: Print 978-1-64152-684-5
eBook 978-1-64152-685-2
R0
This book is dedicated to my family, R.A. , E.A. , and S.P. I never tell you enough how much I love and cherish you.
CONTENTS
Hello! Im Dr. Edward P. Zovinka, a chemist and university professor. Thank you for taking an interest in chemistry and in my book! During my 30-plus years as an educator, many people have asked me, Why should I study chemistry ? You should study chemistry because when you do, you get to do so many cool things. You get to use amazing pieces of equipment like an atomic force microscope so you can see the world in detail you never thought possible, you can run high-end computer calculations, or you can work in the lab creating new molecules for medicines or body armor. You have many opportunities to see for yourself if your designs work. The possibilities are endless!
Since you have been studying science at school for several years already, you are ready to look at chemistry in a little more detail, the way real chemists do. Based on my 25 years of presenting chemistry to students in K12, I have chosen 40 STEAM experiments for you to try in this book. The majority of materials were going to be using can be found at home or at a store. While some activities may seem simple, the chemistry behind the why and how of these experiments will have you quickly immersed in fun, exciting scientific ideas.
This book contains experiments that test real chemistry principles, so you may need to try them more than once to get them right. That should happen! Conducting an experiment multiple times actually gives you a better idea of how real science works. When I do an experiment in the laboratory, it does not surprise me if things dont go as expected the first time. I am usually more surprised if the experiment works perfectly! So, relax and dont be discouraged. Just try it again!
As you do the experiments, remember that chemistry is not only the central science, it is a connected science. As you perform the experiments and learn about chemistry, think about how the chemistry connects to the world around you. You will see many of these topics as you travel through your classes and as you experience life.
I hope you find these experiments as cool and exciting as I do. Good luck, and remember to have fun!
Chemistry is the science of trying to learn more about the world around us. People may tell you chemistry is the study of mattermaybe you even knew that already. But its more than that. Chemistry is a fun and interesting new way of thinking. The chemist inside you has probably asked, Why? about many different things. Chemistry will help you answer your questions. After conducting the experiments in this book and learning more about chemistry, you will see the world differently.
Chemistry is the coolest science because it connects to all other sciences. Its used by engineers, artists, businesspeople, doctors, and just about any other professional person you can think of! How come? Because everything is made up of matter. Chemists study how to change matter. You may have heard of the periodic tablethe collection of the elements that make our world an amazing place, the elements used by nature and people to make all the stuff around you. Chemistry can explain why a leaf is green. It is because a magnesium ion is connected to a bunch of nitrogen and carbon atomsbut this happens in a very specific design, and that design is important. Think of it like an artist designing a painting: an artist takes different colors of paint and creates a beautiful picture. Its the way the artist designs the picture, that is, the colors the artist chooses and where they go, that makes a work of art so special. The same thing goes for the organization of atoms. The green leaf will only be green when the special molecule called chlorophyll is made and assembled by plants in this specific way.
FIGURE 1: Part of chlorophyll, the molecule that makes leaves green. Notice the Mg in the center!