Chemistry Day 2008

“Having a Ball with Chemistry”

On Saturday, October 25, 2008, the MSU Local Section of the ACS celebrated National Chemistry Week (NCW) with our 22^nd annual “Chemistry Day” event. This year, 1200 people visited Chemistry Day at Impression 5 Science Center! Among those in attendance were 400 Boy and Girl Scouts who earned a participation patch for completing nine special activities, many of which related to the theme of the day, “Having a Ball With Chemistry; The Chemistry of Sports”. Thanks to a generous donation from Emergent BioSolutions, admission to Impression 5 was free! Emergent BioSolutions also gave every child in attendance a pair of safety glasses! The MSU Local Section gave everyone who attended Chemistry Day an NCW activity newspaper (“Celebrating Chemistry”), a “Hooray for Chemistry” bag, a NCW sticker, a “Proud to be a Chemist” temporary tattoo, and a NCW helium balloon.

In addition to the regular exhibits at Impression 5, tables of hands-on activities and chemical demonstrations were presented by students from the Department of Chemistry at MSU, MSU student organizations: ACS Women in Chemistry, ACS Younger Chemists Committee, NOBCChE (National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers), Science Theatre, Alpha Chi Sigma (chemistry fraternity), Omega Chi Epsilon (chemical engineering honorary); and students from Olivet College, Perry High School, and Eaton Rapids High School. Many of the activities and demonstrations showcased how chemistry is important to various sports and physical activities! Some of the activities included the mechanics of throwing, electrolytes in sports beverages, determination of iron in cereal, polymers in sports equipment, the effects of density on floating, physical properties of ice relating to winter sports, and how different gases and temperature change the bouncing ability of balls.

Chemistry Day would not have been possible without the help and support of our volunteers. THANK YOU to everyone who participated and helped to make Chemistry Day 2008 a great success!

Dr. Christine Hampton shows a group of Girl Scouts that reflective materials can help people be seen in the dark. Photographer: Xiaoyong Li	Perry High School students (not pictured) help to surround two Chemistry Day visitors in a bubble! Photographer: Xiaoyong Li
Students from Eaton Rapids High School explain to a few Boy Scouts that the gas produced from the reaction of acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate can blow up balloons! Photographer: Xiaoyong Li	An undergraduate student from Michigan State University leads a group of Boy Scouts in jumping jacks before explaining chemical reactions that happen in muscles when you exercise. Photographer: Xiaoyong Li
A student from the Olivet College Chemistry Club helps a child set up his chemical reaction. Photographer: Xiaoyong Li	Two members from the Michigan State University Science Theatre show two Boy Scouts that changing the density of a solution affects an object’s ability to float. Photographer: Xiaoyong Li
Two members from the Michigan State University Science Theatre explain how momentum allows a figure skater to spin. Photographer: Xiaoyong Li	Michigan State University undergraduate students show that temperature changes the ability of a tennis ball to bounce. Photographer: Xiaoyong Li
Michigan State University forensic science students compare the soles of different athletic shoes to castings made from the shoes to explain the differences in tread marks. Photographer: Xiaoyong Li	YCC member Heather Pillman explains that electrolytes are found in many different sports drinks. Photographer: Xiaoyong Li
Physics students in support of bringing the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) to MSU answered questions about the cutting edge research and jobs that the FRIB could bring to the Lansing area. Photographer: Xiaoyong Li