150 Captivating Chemistry Experiments Using Household Substances (Paperback)

by Brian Rohrig (Author) "Density is defined as the amount of space a certain amount of matter occupies..." (more)
Key Phrases: Captivating Chemistry Experiments Using Household Substances, None Procedure, Milk of Magnesia (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This book contains 150 easy, effective, and highly entertaining science experiments that can be performed with ordinary household substances. Suitable for grades K-12. A step-by-step procedure and a complete explanation is provided for each experiment. This book is an excellent resource for teachers, parents, or students with an interest in science. 10 captivating chapters.

About the Author
Brian Rohrig is an award winning high school science teacher. He received a B.S. in Agriculture and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Kent State University. In addition to writing eight books, Brian has had numerous articles published in science magazines such as ChemMatters, The Science Teacher, and the Journal of Chemical Education. Brian is a popular presenter and workshop leader at local, state, and national science conferences.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: FizzBang Science; Revised edition (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971848025
• ISBN-13: 978-0971848023
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #214,712 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some of the "common" substances are hard to find, May 12, 2008

By	Clarice Marchman-Jones (South Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The experiments in this book were explained very well and most were fun and easy to do. I would have given it more stars if all the ingredients needed for all of the experiments were indeed easily obtained from the grocery store or hardware store as promised in the book.

Unfortunately, several of the products suggested as ingredients in some of the more interesting experiments were no longer "commonly" stocked in grocery or hardware stores in my area - and I live in a fairly large city with 7 grocery stores and 4 hardware stores within a 3 mile radius of my home.

For example, one of the experiments called for sodium hydroxide and Draino was suggested as the common household product source for this chemical. Draino may have consisted mostly of sodium hydroxide in 1997 when this book was first published - and maybe even in 2002 when it was revised. However, in 2007 when I went to the grocery store to buy Draino, it was no longer available in the dry powder form, and the new gel formula included a large number of other chemicals. We tired the experiment with Draino anyway, hoping there was enough sodium hydroxide to do the trick while praying that the other chemicals wouldn't cause an adverse reaction. The experiment was a dud, but my son still learned a little about how important it is to be sure that you have the right ingredients in the right proportions to make an experiment work.

When I went in search of another "common" household ingredient, Red Devil Lye, I got some strange looks from store employees when I asked where in the store it might be located. I went from store to store and was only told they no longer carried it and couldn't order it. Finally, someone was kind enough to inform me that it had to be pulled from most store shelves because it was an ingredient in a popular illegal drug. How embarrassing!

Then there was the citric acid. The author of the book suggested that citric acid could be found in the "canning section" of my local grocery store. Well, it couldn't. I did find canning jars in a few of my local grocery stores, but none of them carried chemicals for canning. Finally, after I had made trips to 4 grocery stores and 2 hardware stores, a friend made a very simple suggestion for a source of dry citric acid which should have been made by the author of this book - unsweetened lemonaid flavored Koolaid! Heck, I already had that in my pantry.

It just might be time to update this book again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, Fascinating, Useful, Easy, September 14, 2008

By	Lynda J. Jones "HOLY MOL-EE! Chemistry" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

These books are brilliant! See also 150 More Captivating Chemistry Experiments Using Household Substances. I couldn't be more delighted. I'm starting the entire chemistry program from scratch and Brian's books are SO helpful. Quick, easy-to-do, safe and fascinating demos/experiments with materials you can buy at a local store. I wish I had these books years ago. Brian organizes demos by topic to correlate with the high school chemistry curriculum. He also thoroughly explains each demo. His book is user-friendly. A life saver for chemistry teachers. EVERY chemistry teacher should have these books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Ideas for home experiments, February 25, 2008

By	Superhik "Superhik" (Croatia) - See all my reviews

I teach in elementary school and though not everything in this book is unique, it was really helpful. I would recommend it for anyone who wants to experiment at home, whether you're a child or a parent or a teacher.