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Youngsters Learn Fun Side of Chemistry Super Science Saturday Kicks Off National Chemistry Week at LSU

Posted on: Tuesday, 19 October 2004, 12:00 CDT

Exothermic and endothermic. Reactors and catalysts. By themselves, the terms may be less than interesting. But combined with gooey concoctions, floating objects and polymers that rise before children's eyes, chemistry can be fun.

That's what the Baton Rouge section of the American Chemical Society hoped to convey during its fourth annual Super Science Saturday at the LSU Field House.

The free event, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featured 11 activity booths, one display by Clean Cities of the U.S. Department of Energy and a United Blood Services blood drive. It helped kick off National Chemistry week, which begins today and ends Saturday.

Organizer and LSU chemistry Professor George Stanley said part of the motivation behind the event was to dispel myths about chemistry.

"There's a very negative attitude about chemistry," Stanley said.

When he asks children about chemicals, he said the response is usually the same: Chemicals are bad.

"Kids hear a lot about cancer alley, the chemical companies polluting - except they don't pollute a lot," he said.

Stanley said chemicals are more common in people's lives than they might think.

"Chemicals really aren't bad or good," he said. "In general, we're made out of chemicals. Water is the primary thing in you."

Stanley estimated that about 900 people attended the event last year. This year he was expecting 1,200.

Parents and their children stopped at each booth to get a stamp on their "passports." When they collected all the stamps, they received a prize. Many students' passports could serve as proof they attended the event for extra points in school.

Martin Moser, 15, planned to bring his passport to his honors chemistry class at Baton Rouge High School for points. Martin, his father, Phil, and brother, Hunter, 10, all of Baton Rouge, watched a BASF Corp. employee demonstrate how to make a polymer.

Chemist Jon Speier combined polyol and disocyanate to make polyurethane, a lime-green, foamy substance that began to rise from what looked like a movie popcorn bucket.

As it rose, he passed it around to children to let them touch the tacky surface with either a tongue depressor or a gloved finger. Then, he let the children touch the outside of the carton.

"What are you feeling?" he asked.

"Heat," they responded.

Martin explained to his father that the heat was the result of an exothermic reaction with carbon dioxide.

"It's hands on, pretty much," Martin said of the event.

Younger children seemed more interested in the booths that let them get their hands dirty to make silly putty.

Between three and four children at a time stuck their hands in a bucket filled with glue, Borax and water at a booth manned by LSU graduate students.

"Stick your hands in and start squishing that," instructed Amy Morara, a graduate student in the chemistry department.

After the children rolled the substance into fist-sized balls and squeezed the water out, they put their creations in plastic bags to take home.

The American Institute for Chemical Engineers, Southern University students, ExxonMobil and the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Engineers were among the other groups at the event.

In lieu of admittance fees, personal-care items were accepted at the door to benefit the St. Vincent de Paul Shelter.

Source: Advocate; Baton Rouge, La.

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