On November 7, 2015, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor ACS Student Chapter hosted an attraction for the local community – Demos in the Den. Because of conditions of rain and high humidity, the annual Demos in the Dark event in 2015 was moved to November and into an auditorium. Since demos must be appropriate for safety, protocol was developed and incorporated to provide a super-structure for safety in an indoor environment. Positions of participants were defined with specific responsibilities: safety officer, demonstrators, stage manager, master of ceremonies, music manager, etc. In addition, faculty advisors and students assembled the demonstrations into pre-made grab-to-go boxes. Each labeled box included all reagents, glassware, safety equipment and detailed instructions for the demo. The boxes were portable, allowing the demonstrations to travel to wherever the activity would take place. Members conducted three half-hour sessions of chemical demonstrations set to music, some of which glowed in the dark, produced controlled fires, or caused colorful explosions. Some examples of the demonstrations were Rainbow Connection, Burning Books, Methanol Fire Jugs, Glow-in-the-Dark Elephant Toothpaste, etc. All demonstrators had to wear goggles, long pants, close-toed shoes and either an apron or lab coat. The children's favorite demo and the finale of the program was Banging Balloons, which was staged on the lawn outside of the building. Children and adults alike cheered and clapped with excitement over the burning, bursting, and booming balloons. For the students in the Chapter, the greatest of demos was showing the audience that chemistry is cool. Chapter members communicated clearly that chemistry is exciting.

Demos in the den: Visual demonstration of chemistry in an auditorium

253rd National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.