Hot Science Experiments Posts

How To: Use the Entgegen-Zusammen naming scheme for alkenes in organic chemistry

What's in a name? Well, your chemistry grade, for one. In this free video science lesson from Internet pedagogical superstar Salman Khan, you'll learn how to .... Whether you need help studying for that next big test or could just use a hand finishing your homework, you're sure to be well served by this video lesson. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look.

How To: Make your own thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates

The price of TLC plates can add up. See how to make thin-layer chromatography plates (TLC plates) for a few cents each that are as good as commercial TLC plates that sell for a dollar or two each. You can use these home-made TLC plates the same way you'd use chromatography paper, but the plates provide sharper separations and require far less analyte. They also lie flat, and are much easier to store for later reference. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, and to get sta...

How To: Turn pennies into silver and gold coins with zinc

One of the most famous and repeated chemistry experiments involves money. Some would say this is more of a trick than an experiment, but you can be the judge of that. No one can just turn pennies into silver or gold coins, but someone with a few chemicals can. So, if you want to cooler cents in your pocket, try out this chemistry trick yourself. Nurd Rage (Dr. Lithium) shows you how to turn pennies into silver and gold coins using zinc.

HowTo: See Invisible Magnetic Fields

"Magnetic fields are everywhere- you just can't see them." The science-inspired-art project, Magnetic Movie, by Semiconductor, demonstrates the imaginary "secret lives of invisible magnetic fields". Don't miss it - it's an amazing project. The magnetic fields are beautifully depicted. However, they are indeed imaginary.

How To: Find the North Star from the Northern Hemisphere

In this how to video, you will learn how to find the North Star in the northern hemisphere. To do this, you must know how to locate the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. The Big Dipper is one of the brightest constellations in the sky. You can use this constellation to find the location of the north star. The two stars at the cup of the Big Dipper will point towards Polaris, also known as the North Star. The North Star is the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. This will be helpful if you...

How To: Make hot ice using Sodium Acetate Trihydrate

This video in the Education category will show you how to make hot ice using Sodium Acetate Trihydrate. For this purpose you will need a pan, 100g of Sodium Acetate Trihydrate, 25ml of water, a wooden spoon and a glass. Take the Sodium Acetate Trihydrate and put 100g in the pan. Then place the pan on a stove and turn to medium heat. The Sodium Acetate Trihydrate will start to melt. In about five minutes when it has melted fully, add 25ml of water. Let the solution simmer for two minutes while...

How To: Build a DIY electromagnet for cheap

This video shows the viewer how to make an electromagnet using common items. This is done using a broken microwave, a spool, a cordless drill, a battery and a coat hanger. The microwave transformer is dismantled and the enamel insulated wire is removed. Using the cordless drill the wire is then coiled around the spool. The iron coat hanger should then be cut into small pieces and placed in the middle of the spool. It should be secured tightly. The battery was then connected to the wired coile...

How To: Break a yardstick with atmospheric pressure

This video shows you how to break a yardstick with atmospheric pressure. The instructor first lays a ruler halfway on and off of a table. He then covers half the ruler with newspaper. The instructor states that you can chop the ruler in half with your hand because the air holding down the paper will keep the ruler in place. The experiment does work correctly and he did break it in half perfectly. This instructor seems to have many similar videos on the subject.

How To: Make crystal iodine

MAKE brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life. Make Magazine celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your own will. In this tutorial, Robert Bruce Thompson shows you how to make crystal iodine. As Thompson says in the video, crystal iodine is currently a schedule one compound, and in order to buy you have to fill out a lot of paperwork and you'll end up on a DEA list. This tutorial gets you around that, but proceed carefully.

How To: Make nitric acid

Watch this science video tutorial from Nurd Rage on how to make nitric acid. They show three ways to make nitric acid based on two different chemical approaches, both of which can be done using easily accessible materials.

How To: Make your own scratch holograms

Holography is the scattering of light from an object, which is recorded and reconstructed to create the hologram. As the viewer or viewing mechanism moves, the image appears three dimensional. This instructional video shows how to craft 3 dimensional holograms using scratched arcs on a reflective surface. Using a compass, a picture, and Plexiglas, you can create glowing images that shift and turn inside of a 2 dimensional plane. Who would of thought? Now you can make your very own holograms a...

How To: Use the Unicam UV-visible spectrometer in the lab

The Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta brings you this video tutorial specifically relevant to your student laboratory courses, specifically microbiology. If you're a student at any school of biology, this information will be helpful for learning how to use the Unicam UV-visible spectrometer, split beam and internal printer in the lab.

How To: Make an alcohol lamp

In this science tutorial video, learn how to make a simple lamp from household materials. This lamp is great for power outages and other stuff like camping. All you need is some type of alcohol (isopropyl, ethonal, or even vegetable oil), a pair of scissors, a jar with a lid, and a cotton ball. Make your own alcohol lamp with this instructional video.

How To: Turn spinach from green to glowing red

Chlorophyll glows blood red under a black light. Here is an easy and cheap experiment you can do at home to see the results. Just check out this video tutorial to learn how to take a handful of green spinach, some rubbing alcohol, and a blender to prep the amazing red glowing liquid. Then, just filter it out with a coffee filter and bottle it up. Then, get the black light out and get ready to party.

How To: Use a Peltier module to create free electricity from heat

A Peltier module allows you to turn heat into electricity. Because you can place it in areas that are normally warm anyway, the electricity created is "free" in a sense, though it does work best when one side of the module is cold and the other is hot. In other words, all you'll need for this project is the Peltier module and a cooler surface such as soil or water, and a warm area such as a well lit window or warm pan.