Apologia Chemistry: Consumer Chemistry

Update:  Here’s one good example of current consumer chemistry: paper marbling.  Water marbling nail art is trending.  I make paper modeling more of an inquiry lab by varying the types of paper.
We start with index cards.  Paper marbling or nail marbling is one of my favorite consumer chemistry labs.  We might make ink, too. Here is a ChemMatters article on paper.


It’s too early in the school year for consumer chemistry for me.  However, I ran across an excellent science site, Scottish Schools Education Research Centre when I was looking for an Enzyme lab for Human Biology.

What is Consumer Chemistry?  It’s high interest chemistry: lip balm, Food Science, shampoo, and sun screens.  (I tie fun consumer chemistry labs with ChemMatters articles.). I like SSERC’s Ice Nice lab to test road salts.  (This ChemMatters article, Salting Roads, aligns with the lab.). SSERC has an introduction, student guide, and teacher’s guide with notes.  BTW, I’ll design the lab with materials I already have on hand: magnesium sulfate (epsom’s salt), calcium chloride (Driveway Heat), and sodium chloride, rock salt.  (Paw safe de-icers usually have magnesium chloride.).

Another one I like is Biodiesel. (ChemMatters has an article for Biodiesel, too.). When I do biodiesel labs, I use these instructions.  We make biodiesel in 2 L bottles and  Dry Gas, HEET, which has methanol,.  The students can test different types of vegetable oils.

I do consumer labs when we need a break from moles and Stoichiometry.  Here is a fun and easy lab: test sugar content in the kids’ favorite drinks.  The Flinn lab uses density and converts the density into the percent of sugar in the drink.  (Here’s a chemistry article on performance drinks.). How Sweet it is! has kids make hydrometers with drinking straws to test sugar content.  Sports drinks are a popular topic; I think I’ll start planning this activity.