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.
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 |
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Inventory
Inventory Data Table (download from the course) | Pen or pencil | Miscellaneous assorted kitchen items |
How Hot Can Water Get? |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Food Dye Chromatography
Coffee filters, 2 | Food dye, 2 different colors | Scissors |
Water | Small paper cups, 2 | Ruler |
Safety goggles |
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Unit 3: Physical and Chemical Changes
The Naked Egg
Egg, in shell, uncooked | 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 |
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Chemical Reactions #2
Baking soda, 20 g | A glass, 400 mL capacity or larger | Vinegar, 50 mL |
Thermometer | Safety goggles |
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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 |
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*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 | Jar with lid |
Butter knife | Bread |
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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 | Safety goggles |
Glucose test strips (2) |
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Enzyme Action: Fruit in Jell-O
Jell-O-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 | Safety goggles |
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Apple Browning
Apple slices (5) | 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 |
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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 |
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Yogurt Making
2% Milk, 240 mL | Food thermometer, 0-100C | Measuring cups, up to 240 mL |
Jar with lid, 500 mL | Saucepan, 1 L | Plain yogurt, 200 mL |
Safety goggles | Stove | Kitchen towel |
Spoon |
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Food Preservation
Oven | Baking tray | Apples, 3 cut into thin slices |
Cinnamon, 1 tsp | Distilled water, 4 L | Salt, 30 g |
Fresh dill, 1 small bunch | Cucumbers, 6 small | Large pitcher |
Ziploc bag, 1 large | Small jar with a lid | Berries, 2 cups |
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 |
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Ice Cream
Ziploc bag, 1 L | Large Ziploc bag, 4 L | Half and half, 125 mL |
Sugar, 15 g | Vanilla extract, 1 mL | Ice |
Rock salt, 90 g | Safety goggles | Spoon |
Paper cup |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 | 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 |
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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 |
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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 |
Safety goggles |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 | 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) |
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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 |