Department of Biology

P.O. Box 4010

Atlanta, GA 30302-4010

Tel: 404-413-5421

biobus@gsu.edu

 

 

 

Chemistry: Acids, Bases, and Indicators

 

Grade Level: 5, 8, and High School

Where Taught: Laboratory (with working sinks and drains)

# Students: Up to 30 students, plus one observer

Time needed for presentation: 50-60  minutes

 

Georgia Performance Standards (GPS)

Chemistry: Acids, Bases, and Indicators Enrichment Activities

 

We will need ten minutes between sessions to cleanup and prepare for the next session.

 

     The Acids, Bases, and Indicators module is designed to educate students about chemistry and stimulate their enthusiasm for the subject. Many students view chemistry as one of the more difficult sciences, and this module is designed to convince them that chemistry is interesting, fun, and stimulating.

 

     We begin with a brief introduction to chemistry and matter. This is followed by a discussion of the fundamental properties of acids and bases. We then discuss the use off pH indicators, including litmus paper, phenolphthalein, thymol blue, and paranitrophenol as tools for determining the acid/base characteristics of compounds.

 

     The level of the discussion is tailored to the age and background of each class. Demonstrations are performed to reinforce the concepts presented, and to stimulate the students’ curiosity. The students conduct hands-on experiments designed to give them experience in scientific thinking, methodology, and laboratory safety.

 

The Bio-Bus Group

·        About the Bio-Bus Program

·        Team Members - F.A.Q.’s

·        Teachers Workshops

·        Press Clips - Contact Us

 

Teaching Modules

 

·        Animal Diversity

·        Bio-Bus Sampler

·        Biotechnology

·        Biotechnology: Forensics

·        Chemistry: Acids, Bases, & Indicators

·        Chemistry: States of Matter

·        Geoscience

·        The Heart & your Health

·        Microbes & You I – 1 day

·        Microbes & You II – 2 day

·        Physics – Coming Soon!

·        Water in the Environment

·        Weather: Class Project

 

 

Photos From Past Acids, Bases, and Indicators Presentations

 

 

We begin with a PowerPoint presentation & demonstrations to explain the concepts of acid, base & indicator.  (We bring a projector, but we need a screen or wall.)

 

 

Bio-Bus Fellows (GSU graduate and advanced undergraduate students) help students work in groups of three or four. 

 

 

Students use pipettes to add PT, TP and PP (phenolphthalein, thymolpthalein, and paranitrophenol) to a base solution to create a “rainbow”.  We pre-measure the amount of indicator that elementary students use.  Older students get to work out the amount that they need themselves.

 

We need ten minutes between sessions to clean up and restock for the next session.  A sink in the room is a BIG help!

 

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