LEWISBURG, Pa. — These are the kinds of chemistry experiments that got April Hurlock interested in the field as a kid — liquid nitrogen causing candy to explode out of a pumpkin or getting a flame to glow bright green and red. Now, as a senior at Bucknell University and president of the chemistry club, she gets to show other kids how it all works.
"The first time I saw this during my first year, it was a little bit, not necessarily out of reach, but just behind closed doors. I didn't understand all the science behind the scenes. So, I'm really glad as a senior, I get to get a little bit more hands-on."
Showing kids that learning chemistry doesn't have to be scary — even when fire-breathing pumpkins and candy explosions are involved — is the goal behind Tuesday night's Halloween show, put on by chemistry students and faculty.
"Kids love science from an early age. We have kids; one of the things we've noticed is that kids just feel naturally attracted to science. They want to know how things work," said chemistry professor David Rovnyak.
"We try to let kids get their hands dirty and do some real science. So, at 5:30, before the show starts, we have some activity tables where they can do things like make playdough, dress up like a scientist and take pictures, which is great leading up to Halloween, and then they get to see the explosions, the fire, and we explain some of the science that's happening," said chemistry professor Sarah Smith.
The professors tried to explain to this Bucknell grad the science behind the "puking pumpkin" experiment.
"In chemistry, we can classify reactions in different ways. Our puking pumpkin here is a decomposition reaction where we have hydrogen peroxide breaking down into water and oxygen gas. And we speed it up by using the catalyst, and the catalyst just makes our reactions go faster," Smith explained.
Whether you understood that or not, the result is fun to watch either way. And for these students, getting to share their love of science outside of the classroom is the real treat.
"Sometimes you get into the nitty gritty with some of your classes, where you're thinking about specific reactions, you don't get to see those really cool explosions. So, this is a really fun way to engage in that science that got me really excited about it in the first place," Hurlock said.
The Halloween show is free and open to the public on Bucknell's campus. The activities for families start at 5:30 p.m. on the Swartz Hall patio, and the show itself starts at 7 p.m. at the McDonnell Amphitheater.
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