By Samantha Strong
Magic in the air
By SAMANTHA STRONG
Lafe Peavler stood in a lab coat and chemistry goggles in front of an audience of about 50 people, most of them kids.
'Wow! Do it again, man. Do it again!' one kid shouted.
And then the chanting began. 'Do...it...again! Do...it...again!'
Peavler, a biochemistry major, is one of 14 chemistry 'magicians' who performs demonstrations for school children throughout Utah Valley.
'The purpose is to show the wonder of chemistry,' Peavler said, 'how chemistry is involved in every part of us and in the things that surround us.'
Interested teachers and groups email scheduler Katie Hazen who assigns their request to one or two demonstrators. Although most demonstrators are in advanced chemistry classes, students who have successfully completed even just first year chemistry can participate.
'Every person does the show in their own way,' Hazen said. 'There''s no script.'
Highlights typically include experiments like 'Gun Cotton' in which acid-soaked cotton goes up in flames. 'Elephant Toothpaste', another favorite, involves foam spilling out of the end of a tube filled with chemicals and powder.
'The kids love it,' Hazen said. 'One time I had a student come up and ask me ''Do you have to be in college to be a chemist?'' ... It''s cool to see that they get so excited.'
The demonstrations, however, do more than just entertain. Hazen said that demonstrators always explain afterward how things are done. For fifth graders, who learn about chemistry as part of their curriculum, demonstrators can go into more depth, but even with younger kids the experiments can be related to things that are seen in real life.
'I always start out with showing my lab coat and goggles and telling them that some chemicals are harmful, so you''ve got to protect yourself and your clothes,' Peavler said.
Demonstrations typically end with a balloon that blows up, leaving a flame in the air.
Junior Kelsie Smith, who attended a demonstration with the Best Buddies organization, said the noise made by the exploding balloon was loud enough to hear outside. One boy was so scared, he had to leave the room.
'It was really like a magic show,' Smith said.
To schedule a demonstration, send an email to chemdemos@byu.edu.