Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-05-25
SIMPLE EXPERIMENTS IN CHEMISTRY.

Probably few teachers realize how
much can be done at very small
Z expense in the way of arousing in
young people an intelligent curl
osity in regard to the problems OF
nature, and some idea of the man.
ner of solving them. Chemistry is
often supposed to be more occult
than the other natural sciences gen
orally taught, and perhaps in some
of its theoretical parts it is, but
much of II is perfectly simple, and
II aided by even few experiments
performed in the right spirit, very
interesting even TO undeveloped
youthful minds. The right spirit
is that of scientific interest. An
experiment should never be treated
merely as spectacular perform
ance, but always as an illustration
of some distinct principle or as AN
incentive to intelligent curiosity to
know the reasons of things.
The experiments described in this
article are all within the range of
youthful comprehension, even with
no more explanation than is given
with them. They may be multi
piled indefinitely, especially those
with salts aud acids; on the other
hand II is not necessary to perform
all in n series.
All the following experiments can
be tried with materials cheaply pro-
durable AT any drug store, and with
homemade apparatus. AS to appa-
ratus. an alcohol lamp is convcn-
lent. but an ordinary lamp or even
candle will do il one is willing to
put up with grease and smut. Test
tubes cost about u cent apiece and
are n great convenience, out when
they can not be had the little pill
bottles of the municipalities will
do fairly we'll Two or three shall
low porcelain plates butter dishes
Will uO Ill Z tOilN tHINIt' w iti 'iiNsN
and a few bottles and Mason's fruit
jars, some small glass tubes and
rubber tubes To fit them. five cents
worth of plaster of Paris and five
cents worth oi parailin, the labora-
tory is complete. The chemicals
for all the following experiments
need not cost over one dollar and
there will be enough of each to try
the experiments several times with
successive classes.
The following experiments are in
fourgroups, according to the princi-
pies they illustrate:
FIRsT.-ChcnicaI and physical
changes. A physical change is
one which does not affect the COM
position or permanent properties of
IA substance; n chemical change is
one which does.
Heat the poker red hot and let il
cool off You still have the same
poker; the change was physical.
Do the same to n piece of wood; the
change is chemical. Mix sand and
sugar. The mixture is still sand
and sugar. Pour water on the mix
ture and the sugar will dissolve,
leaving the sand as before. If de-
sired the sugar can be recrystal-
liked out of the water. Put sulphu-
ric acid on sugar, you have a black
mass which is neither sulphuric
acid nor sugar. Mix iron filings
with sand and sulphur. The filings
are still visible and with sufficient
patience could be picked out. y
magnet will pick them out and
leave the sand. Mix together very
intimately equal weights of fine
iron filings and dry powdered sui
phur. Heat in II test-tube until the
mass begins to glow. Remove the
flame and it will continue to glow.
Chemical action is taking place.
W uCH IL 10 SoOi bICdh tilS tSSt-tuDC
and examine the mass. 1t is nei-
ther sulphur nor iron. Dissolve
some common salt in water. Boil
the water out, you have the salt left.
Dissolve some zinc in dilute sui
phuric acid. Boil off the water.
What is left is evidently not zinc.
Try the same thing with other met
ais and acids. Preserve the result
ing substances, marking each pack
age with the name of the metal and |
acid used.
SECoND.-IPater is chemical
combination composed of two in
visible gases, oxygen and hydro
gen.
Water may be separated by an
electric current into oxygen and hy-
drogen. Certain substances, espe-
cially the metals sodium and potas-
stun, will abstract the oxygen from
water so that hydrogen will be
given off. If steam is passed through
a tube filled with red hot iron filings
the oxygen will be taken up by the
iron and hydrogen will be given off.
None of these experiments, unless
possibly the last, can be tried in an
ordinary laboratory.
1t is, however, very easy TO pro-
duce both oxygen and hydrogen by
other means and then combine
them into water. Hydrogen is best
produced by heaction of sulphuric
acid on zinc. Take a Mason's quart