Organic Chemistry- Happy/Sad Balls

Bromination of Saturated and Unsaturated Hydrocarbons

Blue Bottle

Dehydration of Sugar by Sulfuric Acid

Disappearing Coffee Cup

Formation of a Silver Mirror

Models 360

Nylon 6 – 10

Organic Synthesis of Familiar Materials

Oxidation of Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Alcohols

Oxidation of Luminol

Polyurethane Foam

Slime

Underwater Fireworks: Chlorination of Acetylene

Carbide Lamp

Differences in Miscibility of Organic Alcohols in Increasing Chain Length

Combustion of Cellulose Nitrate (Guncotton)

Different Smells of Carvone Isomers

Distinguishing Between HD and LD Polyethylene

Enviro-bond: Cleaning Oil Spills

Esterification Using a Dean-Stark Trap

Ethanol Cannon

Happy/Sad Balls

IR Demonstration I – Atomic Coupling

IR Demonstration II – Molecular Vibrations

IR Demonstration III – Molecular Vibrations

Making a Rubber Ball from Latex

Plastic Samples

Reaction Intermediates in Organic Chemistry

Reducing Sugars and Fehling’s Solution

Rod Climbing by a Polymer Solution

Rotating Rainbows

Silly Putty

Soap Emulsifies Hydrocarbons

Superabsorbent Polyacrylate Gel

Tubeless Siphon

Alkimers

Aniline Hydrochloride-Formaldehyde

Phenol-Formaldehyde Polymer

Saponification

Relative Reactivity of Reducing Agents

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction/EAS Reaction

Reactivity of Alkanes vs Aromatic Compounds

Inductive Effect

Optical Activity of Racemic Mixtures With Limonene

Relationship of Absorbed Light to Observed Color

Density and Miscibility of Liquids

Extraction of Copper Ions from Solution with Orform®

Gel Formation with Sodium Alginate and Calcium Chloride

Ozonolysis

Hydrolysis of T-Butyl Chloride: A Lecture and Lab Experiment

Happy/Sad Balls

Description: Two identical balls are dropped on the floor. One ball (neoprene) bounces, and the other ball (polynorbornene) does not bounce.

Source:  Journal of Chemical Education – Vol. 67

Year: 1990 Vol:  67  Page: 198

Keywords:  Polynorbornene, Neoprene, Chloroprene, Balls, Elasticity, Friction

Rating:

Hazard: Low

  • Choking hazard
  • Flammable solids
  • Aquatic toxicity

Effectiveness: Good

  • Results are clearly observable without guidance
  • Low failure rate
  • Time to results is low
  • Good connection from demo to course material

Difficulty: Low

  • Simple manipulations for most to perform
  • Simple procedures

Safety Precautions:

  • Eye protection required
  • Latex rubber in use
  • Prevent release of reagents to the environment
  • ABC fire extinguisher on hand

Class: Organic Chemistry, Liquids and Solids

Division: General, Organic Chemistry