Chemists stage magic show

Wielding a burning tiki torch, the conductor lit the balloon into flames as visitors to the Chemistry Open House watched Saturday afternoon.

The experiment was one of many demonstrations at a chemistry magic show Saturday in the Chemistry Building.

The event was also part of a day-long series of open houses organized by the astronomy, chemistry, geological sciences, mathematics and physics departments.

Hands-on science demonstrations were offered to students, staff and community members throughout the day starting at 9 a.m. in the Chemistry Building and Swain Hall West.

Prior to the chemistry magic show, guests were given the opportunity to play with different experiments located in labs throughout the building.

These experiments included “Be A Battery,” which allowed participants to test themselves as human conductors of electricity.

Guests placed their hands on zinc and copper plates to test conductivity.

In the “Haunted Lab,” conductors burned gummy bears using potassium chloride, used rubbing alcohol to light a jack-o-lantern and combined dry ice with soap and water to create bubbles.

“It’s a pretty fun way to wash your hands,” said IU biology student and conductor Leanne Jamison.

At the beginning of the magic show, white phosphorus was drawn on sheets of construction paper taped to a black board in the shape of the word “welcome.”

The white phosphorus began to disappear and then burned through the paper, once again revealing the word “welcome.”

James Clark, undergraduate lab and outreach coordinator of the chemistry department, led the demonstrations, asking his “assistants” for good ideas to conduct energy.

Chemicals were then used to create an artificial light bulb, a tube with glowing blue liquid, and to melt dry ice.

After smoke had filled the room, another conductor burned a line of sugar. By adding chemicals, the fire burned brighter.

Similarly, fire was used to power a “car,” a large water bottle on wheels, filled with ethanol.

“It’s a very rudimentary example of how ethanol burns,” staff member Aulaire Schmitz said. “It’s more complicated with real cars, but things with larger surface areas will burn faster, which is what caused it to jet off the table.”

Another two conductors made their own “sun” inside of a glass flask, which created enough light to fill the entire room.

“It’s actually white phosphorus,” Schmitz said. “The round bottom flask was filled with oxygen prior to the show. When white phosphorus is exposed to the environment, it burns and creates the effect of sunlight.”

The final surprise of the show involved the same tiki torch from the beginning. This time, the torch was used to blow up a balloon that was five times larger than the first balloon.

The heat filled the entire room from the explosion.

“It’s really just an excuse to light something on fire,” Schmitz said.