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Chemistry Magic
Show Notes

Adriana Raats
By Laura Paquet

If you could volunteer to dazzle a crowd by exhaling clouds

like a fire-breathing dragon, wouldn’t you sign up?

For many Carleton chemistry students over the In another demonstration, students mix
last decade, the answer to that question has hydrogen peroxide with food colouring and
been a resounding “Yes!” dish soap, then add potassium iodide, which
Since 2008, the Department of Chemistry catalyzes the hydrogen peroxide into water Aya Kadri
has organized the free, public Chemistry Magic and oxygen. A huge stream of foam—which
Show. The all-day events—one in winter and the students call “elephant toothpaste”—froths
another in spring—are extremely popular. At out of the container.
the January 2019 show, a record-breaking Student Ksenia Frolova enjoys the
1,800 spectators turned up to see students camaraderie among the small, tightly-knit
demonstrating and explaining scientific group of student volunteers and professors
concepts. who organize the show. Like her, many of
One popular demonstration involves dipping them participate in the event year after year.
crackers into liquid nitrogen, which freezes “Everybody helps. Everybody works hard. So
them instantly. When students bite into the I really enjoy that sense of being together
snacks and exhale, their breath looks like and enjoying something, and preparing for
clouds of smoke. something that we all love.” Ksenia Frolova

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