Show celebrates magic of chemistry

POTSDAM — Taking refuge from the rainstorms that threatened to drown out a fun-filled Potsdam weekend, families filled a lecture hall Saturday at Clarkson University for what turned out to be one of the best shows in town.

James C. Peploski's magic chemistry show attracted alumni who returned for the college's reunion, who in turn brought along a roomful of excited children.

The associate professor of chemistry and biomolecular science started off his signature show with a bang. First, he held a lighter to a purple balloon. As it burst, flames flowered in the air. He asked people what was inside.

"It can't be helium. If it were, then the balloon you give to your sweetheart on Valentine's Day would basically be a bomb," he said. "It's hydrogen."

Then he lit a pink balloon. This time, as it burst, what sounded like a sonic boom throttled the classroom, as a combination of hydrogen and oxygen reacted with the heat.

The pyrotechnics continued throughout the afternoon, as Mr. Peploski explained the science behind making homemade fireworks and the importance of oxygen for chemical reactions.

He also showed off a Nerf gun retrofitted to act like a flame-thrower, puffing air in front of a flame to ignite a highly combustible substance.

Several of Mr. Peploski's demonstrations glowed in the dark. He poured a line of boric acid solution on the floor and lit the end.

As the flame followed the line, it blazed into glowing blue-green flames in the shape of a clover.

"Every demonstration I do in my class always has to do with the topic we're studying — except for this one," the director of freshman chemistry said. "It's the flaming green shamrock of chemistry!"

To show how chemists create substances with a variety of uses, Mr. Peploski poured water into a clear bowl of highly absorbent crystals similar to those used in baby diapers, which expanded to several times their size almost immediately. The result was a tray full of a soft, powdery substance.

"It's fake movie snow. You can walk on it, ski on it, pour it on people's heads from the heavens. That's something we really need on a nice summer day in Potsdam — snow," he said. "Chemists are responsible for the many, many modern materials we have before us today."

Mr. Peploski topped off his show with a sugary treat. As he finished up a series of demonstrations of the effect liquid nitrogen has on different substances, he pulled out a jug of milk, sugar, half-and-half and vanilla. He poured in the extremely freezing substance and stirred furiously as fog enveloped the table.

"There! It's your official Clarkson University alumni weekend ice cream," he said, as people lined up to try a spoonful and ask him questions.