Chemistry experiments
Updated: 2008-03-28
Please send comments to: J.Elfick@uq.edu.au
Names of chemicals
Usually, the chemical name used in this document is the standard name followed by synonyms. These names were checked with names in the document "Education Queensland (Australia), Aspects of Science management: A reference manual for Schools" 1997 and the catalogue of Philip Harris, UK.
See: Chemistry index - alphabetical list of terms See: Primary school chemistry lessons
See: Chemistry appendix See: "Images of atoms" by Tony Wright
See: Greek alphabet, Phonetic alphabet See: Workplace Health and Safety, University of Queensland 
Table of contents
Topic 3 Laboratory safety, glassware, chemicals, fire, animals

 Topic 12 Reactions, acids, bases, neutralization, pH, indicators, acidity, salts
Topic 4 Equipment, filtering, glass, microscopes, soldering Topic12A Salts, identify unknown salts, soaps, detergents, water hardness, activity series, metals and water, carbonates, oxides
Topic 5 Chemical solutions, preparation instructions, molarity, mole, alloys Topic 12B Reactions of elements and their salts and compounds
Topic 12C Periodic table, reactions of halogens
Topic 12D Soaps, detergents, hardness in water
Topic 12E Tests for metallic radicals
Topic 6 Measurement, significant digits, scientific notation (SI), International system of units, useful measures Topic 13 Gases, generation apparatus, preparation and properties of gases
Topic 7 Chemical and physical changes, elements, metals and non-metals, m.p. solids, b p. liquids
 Topic 14 Thermochemistry, heat of reaction, endothermic and exothermic, chemical bonds
Topic 7a Suspensions, precipitates, solutions, solubility, colloids, sols, emulsions, gels, aerosols, foams, chemistry terminology, prefixes and suffixes Topic 15 Electrochemistry, electrochemical and electrolytic cells, electrolytes, electroplating, oxidation and reduction, corrosion, electrical conductivity, electrode potentials
Topic 8 Combustion, burning, heat sources, effect of heat on substances, conditions for combustion
 Topic 16 Hydrocarbons, food tests, organic chemistry terms
Topic 16a Classification of hydrocarbons and plant products
Topic 9 Crystals, water of crystallization, efflorescence and deliquescence, macromolecules, polymers, plastics Topic 17 Rate of reaction, catalysts, enzymes, chemical equilibrium
Topic 10 Chemical and physical separation, solubility, distillation, m.p. separation
 Topic 18 Environmental chemistry, pH surveys, water tests, air tests, exhaust gases, pollution
Topic 18a Swimming pool chemistry
Topic 11 Structure of matter, ionic solutions, conductivity, hydrogen bonds, sizes of particles
 Topic 19 Chemical reactions in the home, composition of food, cooking
Topic 19a Food preservation, fabrics, hardware, home chemicals
Primary school chemistry lessons
Burn to make carbon Make clay pots
Candle flame Potash from ash
Different metals Mix and dissolve
Heat substances Mix liquids
Heat and cool water Invisible inks
Keep our water clean Spirit burner
Make crystals  -
History of these chemistry experiments
1. UNESCO Chemistry Experiments (this document) had its origin from the publication of "Main Points in Chemistry" The Jacaranda Press, 1985, ISBN: 0 7016 1915 5, by Dr Alan Cook, previously at the Queensland University of Technology. This publication was not designed to replace any chemistry text but to provide an efficient means of focussing on the main points in chemistry in the simplest and most easily understood language. The original idea was to complement this text with a manual of simple experiments that best displayed the main points.
2. The next stage was the survey "School Science Curriculum Analysis" that was conducted from Science and Technology Section of UNESCO, Paris headquarters. Classification of science topics used in the survey was based on the publication "SPINES Thesaurus, A controlled and structured vocabulary for information and processing in the field of science and technology for development", English/Multilingual 1988 edition of the 1984 revision, UNESCO, ISBN: 92-3-102257-1. This UNESCO document was compiled by the UNESCO Secretariat and B. de Padriac. This survey obtained data from 78 respondents in 56 countries on what was being taught at primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary levels of science education. The results of this survey were used to make a collection of experiments starting from revision of the "New UNESCO source book for science teaching" 1979 UNESCO Paris ISBN 92-3-101058-1. Various organizations and authors allowed accounts of their experiments to be used.
3. The next stage was prepared in collaboration with Professor Mrs He Xiang Shan and the staff of the Chemistry Department of Capital Normal University, Beijing, China. This collaboration resulted in the publication of "GUOWAI ZHONGXUE SHIYAN HUAXUE (Overseas Middle School Experiments - Chemistry) (J. Elfick editor) Author(s): He Xiangshan and Lin Xiaohong Language: Chinese No. Volumes: 1 No. Pages: 274 pages Date of publication: December 1996 ISBN 7-81039-804-0/G.661 Price: Yuan 9.80.
The difficult work of coordination and interpretation was done by UNESCO Assistant Programme Officers Mr Howard Jiang and Ms Ye Mai.
The publication was used for in-service training and was thoroughly reviewed by chemistry teachers in China. This book is on the Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China "All China Approved Book List for Primary and Secondary Schools" and is on sale to the public in China.
4. This document is the edited English version of "Overseas Middle School Experiments - Chemistry" designed to give a wider choice of experiments to teachers of chemistry in Chinese middle schools. The amount of descriptive detail in the experiments is designed to be the minimum needed for doing the experiment by a trained chemistry teacher. Each experiment is thought to be one of the simplest and least expensive ways of displaying the idea. However, a teacher should check the experimental details in a chemistry book recommended for use in that school system.