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Customer Reviews
The result of passing time is that some of the materials used in some experiments may be difficult or even impossible to procure. However, you shouldn't allow this to dissuade you from getting this book - the experiments you <u>can</u> perform will provide you quite a lot of enjoyment.
Caution, however, is in order: Some of the reagents used are corrosive, poisonous, or even explosive. I'd advise ensuring that an adult is present to supervise if you care to attempt those particular experiments!
surprising results suitable for stage demonstrations. Presented as
recipes with short descriptions of of underlying mechanisms (usually).
What caught my eye was the number of classic demonstrations common in
older books but now largely dropped from children's texts as too
dangerous in ingredients required, or fumes and energy relesed.
Many of the recipes are about buring or blowing up things (Yeah! ;-)
* sugar cube treasted with conc H2SO4 black thing
* zinc based powder that emits green smoke when spat on
(thanks for teaching me this one Max ;-)
* colored fire powders
* flour cannon (did not mention that old quaker oats tin useful here.)
I am in favor of teaching children how to safely perform dangerous
science experiments, as this is the only way to learn to do such
things properly, (since many will do them regardless) and anyway the
kids would be up to more hazardous pursuits if the modest risks of the
laboaratory are denied. If today's young people do not learn how to
play with fire safely, where will we get tommorws homeland defense
technologists to fight our nations Fovever War against religous
fanatics?
However I would not encourage experimemnts involving the burning of
mercury compounds (see the blue fire formula) and the use of
carcinogenic, flamable or persistently toxic substances like CCl4 or
fluid mercury anywhere but in a proper fireproof ventilation hood.
The book does mark experiments involving toxic (like CCl4)
sponateously combustible (white phosphorous!) and powwerful oxidizing
agents (my fav: Potassium Clorate). Unfortunately the short length of
the text did not permit a more detailed discussion of precausions one
sould take with such materials, like eye protection, long fuses and
electrical igniter/detonators, and saftely practices like using very
small quantities of reagents the first time, not permitting murcury to
spill in places it could release fumes over time or form amalgams with
other metals and never premixing oxidizers with combustables unless
one knows the combination is relatively stable in the environment in
which the mixture will be stored.
I reccomend this book as an antidote the boring...
libability concious [material] present in most high school texts, but
would also require students doing these experimentr to read some
detailed laboratory procedures text, and practice these techinuqwes in
a laboratory under experinced supervision. The most valuable lesson
then obtained is the attitude of cautious adventurousness that helps many
of us to have a joyful time in the lab while still retaining all ten
fingers.
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