On Oct. 27, more than 500 community members visited Frick Chemistry Laboratory for the 2017 National Chemistry Week “Chemistry Rocks!” Activities Night.
Children and young people ages 5 and up were invited to don safety goggles and get their hands dirty with hands-on activities, games and presentations related to the chemistry of Earth. They learned about rock-forming minerals; made caves, slime and limestone; watched coal form; investigated ocean chemistry; dug for fossils, and more.
The event was hosted by the Princeton section of the American Chemical Society.
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Alex (8) uses a black-light flashlight to see fluorescence in rocks and rock-forming minerals. “I like minerals. They’re shiny,” said his friend Thomas.
Photo by
Denise Applewhite, Office of Communications
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From left: Vaishnavi (9) and Shriya (8) make slime with borax and glue. “It’s fun to learn,” said Shriya.
Photo by
Denise Applewhite, Office of Communications
Robert Cava, the Russell Wellman Moore Professor of Chemistry, explains rock formation to a rapt crowd, including, from left, Yan, William (5), Alex (8) and Thomas (8).
Photo by
Denise Applewhite, Office of Communications
Chemistry graduate students Mia Borden, left, and Alyssa Ertel show children how to make coal from sugar and sulfuric acid. “It’s a fun way to share what I like about science with kids,” said Borden. “They’re very enthusiastic.”
Photo by
Denise Applewhite, Office of Communications
More than 500 community members ages 5 and up attended the evening event, where they learned about chemistry and geology through hands-on activities led by professors, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, undergraduates, and AP chemistry students from Princeton High School, and Chem Club members from Lawrence High School.
Photo by
Denise Applewhite, Office of Communications