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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1999  > November  >
Chemistry Everyday for Everyone
What Is It Used for? A Consumer-Chemical Hunt
Arthur M. Last
Department of Chemistry, University College of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M9, Canada

Cover
November 1999
Vol. 76 No. 11
p. 1503

Abstract
Situations often arise when a chemistry instructor would like to emphasize that the chemical compounds discussed in class can be found in a wide variety of consumer products. One method of doing this is to generate a "Consumer-Chemical Hunt" in which students are provided with clues to the identity of specific compounds and, after identifying the compounds in question, are required to find examples of consumer products in which these compounds are present. The Consumer-Chemical Hunt described in this paper was developed as a Chemistry Week activity, with prizes for the most successful contestants; however, it could also be used as an informal end-of-term activity, or could be incorporated into a course or unit in which the focus is the importance of chemicals in modern society. Details of a 25-item hunt are given, together with appropriate solutions. A follow-up activity involving a display of the relevant consumer products is also included.
Supplement
A handout for participants in this consumer-chemical hunt is available.

1. For the purposes of this article, items have been arranged so that those numbered 1-11 are most suitable for students with no knowledge of organic chemistry. Items 12-15 could be added for students who have covered a small amount of organic chemistry. Items 16-25 require a more detailed understanding of organic chemistry.

2. The brand-name products listed are all sold in Canada, but are not necessarily available elsewhere.

*  Contents
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More Information
*  Citation
Last, Arthur M. . J. Chem. Educ. 1999 76 1503.
*  Keywords
Public Understanding; General Chemistry; Consumer Chemistry; Teaching / Learning Aids
*  History
Created:
Last Updated:
October 12, 1999
November 22, 2005
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