The list of materials for the Household Chemistry course may be longer than what you expect. This is because the course is primarily composed of hands-on activities. It is likely that you already own many of the materials. Others are quite inexpensive and may be available in local dollar stores, grocery stores, or department stores. Each unit corresponds to a week in the course. (For example, items for Unit 3 will be needed in Week 3 of the course). Items marked as “perishable” should not be acquired until the student needs them in the course.

 

You need these throughout the course: 

  • Access to water 
  • Computer 
  • Printer 
  • Printer paper 
  • Photo-taking device 
  • Old newspaper 

 

The materials are listed for the individual activities within each unit.

 

Unit 1: States of Matter

 

Water’s Freezing Point

Ice cube, 2 cm cube or larger 

String, 10 cm length 

Table salt 

Gak

Safety goggles 

Bowl or cup 

Spoon 

Measuring cup 

Liquid starch, 100 mL 

White glue, 100 mL 

Water 

Food coloring (optional), a few drops 

 

 

Inventory

Inventory Data Table 

(download from the course) 

Pen or pencil 

Miscellaneous assorted kitchen items 

 

How Hot Can Water Get?

 

 

Small saucepan 

Thermometer 

Safety goggles 

Oven mitt or potholder 

Timer or stopwatch 

Printed data table 

 

Unit 2: Mixtures

 

Types of Mixtures

Measuring cups 

Spoon 

Milk, 250 mL 

Warm water, 750 mL 

Sugar, 40 g 

Sand, 100 g 

Glasses or plastic cups, 400 mL capacity or larger, 4 

Flashlight 

Safety goggles 

 
Mixtures Lab: Salad Dressing

Jar with a lid, 500 mL 

Dijon mustard, 10 mL 

Olive oil, 120 mL 

Vinegar, 10 mL 

Salt 

Pepper 

Vegetables (e.g., celery, carrots, or cucumbers), crackers, or bread (optional) 

Colored pencils, assorted colors 

Piece of unlined paper 

Safety goggles 

 

 

 

Separating Mixtures

Ziploc bag, sandwich size 

Staples, 10, separated or steel wool cut into small pieces 

Beads, plastic or glass, 20 

Sand, 20 g 

Water, 50 mL 

Container that holds 100 mL of water 

Bar or kitchen magnet 

Strainer or colander 

Coffee filters, 3 

Cups, small plastic, 4 

 

 


Salt Water Evaporation

Measuring cup 

Salt, 10 g 

Warm water, 50 mL 

A clear glass with capacity of 100 mL or larger 

Salt Water Observation and Data form (download from the course) 

Ruler 

Spoon 

Safety goggles 

 


Food Dye Chromatography

Coffee filters, 2 (white filters work best) 

Food dye, 2 different colors 

Scissors 

Water 

Small paper cups, 2 

Ruler 

Safety goggles 

 

 

 

             

Unit 3: Physical and Chemical Changes

 

The Naked Egg

Egg, in shell, uncooked (Perishable)

White vinegar (enough to completely cover the egg when placed in the jar; you need enough to do this two 

times) 

Jar 

Bowl 

Slotted spoon 

Safety goggles 

Camera (optional) 

Paper (optional) 

Pen or pencil (optional) 

 

Chemical Reactions #1

Yeast, 1 packet, newly purchased 

A glass, 300 mL capacity or larger 

Warm water, 50 mL 

Spoon 

3% hydrogen peroxide, 40 mL 

Thermometer 

Safety goggles 

 

 

 

Chemical Reactions #2

Baking soda, 20 g 

A glass, 400 mL capacity or larger 

Vinegar, 50 mL 

Thermometer 

Safety goggles 

 

 

             

Unit 4: Atoms and Molecules

 

Build an Atomic Model

Paper plate, any size 

Marker 

Modeling clay, 100 g 

*Glass or plastic beads, 6 

*Kidney beans (dry), 6 

*Chickpeas (dry), 6 

White glue 

 

 

*Can substitute other small objects that you have on hand for making your model 


Candy Balancing Equations

M & Ms, Skittles, or other different color candies (blue, red, green, and orange; 10 of each color) 

Candy Balancing Equations Form (download from the course) 

Colored pencils (blue, red, green, and orange) 

 

Ionic and Covalent Compounds

M & Ms, Skittles, or other different color candies (10 candies for each of 2 colors) 

Ionic and Covalent 

Compounds Sheet 

(download from the course) 

 

Unit 5: Biochemistry

 

Churning Butter

Safety goggles 

Heavy cream, 400 mL (Perishable)

Jar with lid 

Butter knife 

Bread (Perishable)

 


Enzyme Action: Lactose Free Milk

Lactase tablet 

Large cups, 2 

Spoon 

A mortar and pestle or something that can be used to grind the tablet 

Milk, 500 mL (Perishable)

Safety goggles 

Glucose test strips (2) 

 

 


Enzyme Action: Fruit in Jell-O

Jell-O (1 small package) 

Hot tap water, 250 mL  

Cold tap water, 250 mL 

Large bowl 

Medium size plastic bowls, 2 

Spoon 

Fresh pineapple or kiwi (Perishable)

Safety goggles 

 


Apple Browning

Apple slices (5) (Perishable)

Baking soda solution, 10 mL (3 teaspoons of baking soda to 60 mL of water) 

Room temperature water, 10 mL  

Paper cups, 4 

Lemon juice, 10 mL 

Hot water, 10 mL 

Paper plate 

Safety goggles 

Tweezers or tongs 

Pen or pencil 

A camera 

 

 

Unit 6: Fermentation and Food Preservation

 

Yeast Fermentation

Yeast packet 

Sugar, 25 g 

Glass jar, 500 mL 

Stirring rod or spoon 

Warm water, 100 mL 

Test tubes, 2 

Small latex-free balloons; must fit securely on the test tube 

Safety goggle 

 


Yogurt Making

2% Milk, 240 mL (Perishable)

Food thermometer, 0-100C 

Measuring cups, up to 240 mL 

Jar with lid, 500 mL 

Saucepan, 1 L 

Plain yogurt, 200 mL (Perishable)

Safety goggles 

Stove 

Kitchen towel 

Spoon 

 

 


Food Preservation

Oven 

Baking tray 

Apples, 3 cut into thin slices (Perishable)

Cinnamon, 1 tsp 

Distilled water, 4 L 

Salt, 30 g 

Fresh dill, 1 small bunch (Perishable)

Cucumbers, 6 small (Perishable)

Large pitcher 

Ziploc bag, 1 large 

Small jar with a lid 

Berries, 2 cups (Perishable)

Ziploc bag, sandwich bag 

Sugar, 51 g 

Plastic spoon 

Saucepans 

Refrigerator 

Safety goggles 

 

Unit 7: Water

 

Properties of Water

Cups, 4, 100 mL 

Cup or bowl, 400 mL 

Paperclip 

Tweezers 

Small coin 

Microscope slides 

Rubbing alcohol, 50 mL 

Water, 50 mL 

Eyedroppers, 3 

Salt 

Celery 

Food coloring (small bottle) 

Plastic cups, 500 mL 

Permanent marker 

Stir rods, 2 

Paper towels 

Gummy bears 

Small paper cups 

Measuring cup, 25 mL 

Balance 

Safety goggles 

 

Rock Candy

Sugar, 600 g 

Spoon 

Water, 250 mL 

Heat safe jars, 500 mL 

Hot plates 

Bamboo skewers or craft sticks 

Safety goggles 

 

 

 

Ice Cream

Ziploc bag, 1 L 

Large Ziploc bag, 4 L 

Half and half, 125 mL (Perishable)

Sugar, 15 g 

Vanilla extract, 1 mL 

Ice 

Rock salt, 90 g 

Safety goggles 

Spoon 

Paper cup 

 

 

 

             

Unit 8: Vitamins and Minerals

 

Advertisement

  • Paper and colored pencils or markers 

 

Extracting Iron from Cereal

Iron fortified cereal (1 box) 

Ziploc bag 

Safety goggles 

Strong magnet; neodymium magnets preferred 

 

 

 

Rates of Reaction

Alka-Seltzer tablets, 6 

Measuring cup, 100 mL 

Medium size pot 

Ziploc bag 

Large jar, 500 mL 

Thermometer 

Stopwatch 

Vinegar, 500 mL 

Stove  

Safety goggles 

 

 

 


Unit 9: Acids, Bases, and Soap

 

The pH Scale Lab

Measuring cup, 25 mL 

Tap water, 10 mL 

White vinegar, 10 mL 

Red cabbage indicator (Perishable)

Lemon juice, 10 mL 

Soapy water, 10 mL 

Salt water, 10 mL 

Cups, 4 oz. size, 8 

pH indicator paper and color key 

Seltzer water, 10 mL 

Ascorbic acid, 10 mL 

 

 
Clean Coin Challenge

Cups 

Baking soda solution, 50 mL 

Lemon juice, 50 mL 

Water, 50 mL 

Unclean copper coins, 5 

Measuring cup, 100 mL  

Tweezers  

Paper towels  

Safety goggles 

pH indicator paper and color key  

 

 

 
Soap Investigation

Liquid dish soap, 5 mL 

Tap water, 100 mL 

A jar with a lid 

Vegetable oil, 100 mL 

Measuring cup, 100 mL 

2 Styrofoam plates with raised edge 

Straw 

Food coloring 

Whole milk, 100 mL (Perishable)

Safety goggles 

 

 

 

             

Unit 10: Polymers

 

Athletic Shoes

  • Pair of your athletic shoes


Bouncy Ball

Measuring spoons, 5 mL 

Warm water, 60 mL 

Cornstarch, 23 g 

Borax powder, 4.5 g 

White glue, 15 mL 

Paper cups, 2, 100 mL capacity or larger 

Craft stick or plastic spoon 

Food coloring, several drops of any color 

Ruler 

Safety goggles  

 

 

 

Recycling Code Scavenger Hunt

Assorted polymer products, items found around the house 

Recycling Code Scavenger Hunt Table (download from course) 

 

Skewered Balloon

Paper towel 

Bamboo skewer 

Safety goggles 

Balloons, latex-free, round shape, (when inflated, must be shorter than the bamboo skewer), 3 

Camera or phone with videotaping capability 

Vegetable oil or dishwashing soap, small amount 

 

Toys that Grow

Growing toy 

Bucket or large bowl 

Ruler 

Kitchen scale (optional) 

Water 

Toys that Grow Form 

(download from course) 

 

Unit 11: Light, Color, Pigments, and Paint

 

Chalk Paint

Colored chalk, several of 2 different colors  

Ziploc bags, sandwich size, 2  

White glue, 40 mL 

Water 

Paper, white, copy paper size 

Wooden mallet or hammer 

Craft sticks, 2 

Small paper cups, 2 

Paintbrushes, 2 

Safety goggles 

 

 


Natural Dyes

Cotton balls, 3  

Rubbing alcohol, 20 mL 

Safety goggles 

Black tea, brewed for 3–5 minutes, 10 mL 

Berries (raspberry, blackberry, or blueberry), 5 of the same type of berry (Perishable)

Paper cups, bathroom size or larger, 3 

Ziploc bags, sandwich size, 2 

Spinach, 3 or more leaves 

Paper towel 


Stains

Cotton cloth or cotton napkin, light color 

Vegetable oil, 15 mL 

Grass or leaves 

Dish detergent, 5 mL 

Baking soda, 30 g  

Paper cups, small, 15 

Spoons, 2 

Permanent marker  

Scissors 

Coffee, brewed, 15 mL 

Water 

Paper towels 

Lemon juice, 30 mL 

Container, 50 mL capacity or larger 

Measuring spoons 

3% Hydrogen peroxide, 30 mL 

Stains Data Table (download from course) 

 


Invisible Ink

Lemon juice, 10 mL 

Cotton swab 

Paper cup, small 

Safety goggles 

White copier paper or lined notebook paper 

Heat lamp, incandescent light bulb, or a hair dryer