Witches' Potion Demonstration

Add to list Go to activity
In this chemistry demonstration, learners will discover that phenolphthalein is an acid/base indicator. One learner will read a poem about four witches making a potion. Four learners will act out the parts, adding chemicals and water to different beakers (with adult supervision). Learners will enjoy the poem as the indicators react with the substances and change color. This is a fun chemistry demonstration to use during Halloween. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Learning Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 11 - 18
Resource Types:
Activity, Demonstration, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • 2-500 mL beakers or large, clear containers
  • 4-250 mL beakers or tall glasses
  • phenolphthalein
  • 3 M ammonia clear or colorless household ammonia
  • 3 M acetic acid or vinegar
  • water

Keywords

Subjects

  • Physical Sciences
    • Chemistry
      • Acids and Bases
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • see color

Learning styles supported:

  • Links STEM to other topics of interest such as arts and humanities
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access with registration

By:

Rights: