Thursday, January 27, 2011

one thing's for sure, our kids are going to have kick butt science fair projects

I think if I were in charge of marketing science to little kids, particularly little girls, all I'd say is, "Be a chemist, and you can make glitter and pretty colored things!!"

Behold the evidence:

trans-dichlorobis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III) chloride
(synthesized today in lab! it was in this really pretty dark, dark turquoise liquid, absolutely gorgeous) 

Buckminsterfullerene (60 carbon atoms bonded together in the shape of a soccer ball)
(made last week)

Buckminsterfullerene with flash!

Gold flakes about to be dissolved by aqua regia

 Dissolved gold in aqua regia!
(Isn't that cool? Did you ever think about gold dissolving?)

I think that the colors just might be my favorite thing about chemistry. So beautiful.

3 comments:

amanda said...

is it you we're reading about on byu.edu? do you work with prof watt?

Katya said...

nope, i don't (but i know people who do!) these are just photos from lab classes.

Anna said...

yes! my FAVORITE COLOR is phenolphthalein indicator solution...but it was not pretty enough to keep me interested in chem past organic haha. found your blog through life in technicolor :)