Members of the University’s chemistry major group, Free Radicals, performed a series of their favorite chemistry demonstrations at a WesFest event held in Exley 150 last Friday, April 19. The demonstrations were well received, prompting loud applause and some startling screams from the audience of prospective students, parents, and current students.

Event Coordinator Sarah Hensiek ’13 explained the primary aim of the demonstration.

“The goal here was mostly to entertain people and kind of convince them that Wesleyan chemistry is a cool thing to do…kind of wow them into coming here,” Hensiek said.

Associate Professor of Chemistry and academic advisor to Free Radicals David Westmoreland supervised the demonstrations. He agreed that the demos were an opportunity to show off the fun side of chemistry.

“Most of the science-related events at WesFest are pretty academically oriented, so the chemical demonstrations show is an opportunity for current majors to use their chemical skills to have some fun with the visitors,” Westmoreland wrote in an email to The Argus.

One student demonstrated how the energy in food is released, a procedure used to quantify calories. Wilbur Olin Atwater developed this system of calculating food calories at the University in 1896. The student placed a 300-calorie donut into liquid oxygen and set it on fire with a blowtorch, creating a blindingly bright flame that lasted for several seconds until the donut had completely combusted.

Another event coordinator, Patrick Sarver ’14, demonstrated an unconventional way to make clean water. The process involved making bubbles with soap water and oxygen, after which another student lit the bubble on fire with a candle. Setting the bubble on fire proved to be a challenge as it quickly rose to the ceiling, but when the student did manage to reach the bubble, it exploded and released water.

At the conclusion of the event, participants made vanilla ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Julie Hsia ’14 mixed the ice cream ingredients with the liquid nitrogen and then gave it 5 to 10 minutes to freeze. According to Hsia, this technique is very popular among chefs experimenting with molecular gastronomy, the application of scientific knowledge to alter or combine unique tastes and textures when cooking.

With regard to the experiments involving combusting bubbles and burning donuts, Professor Westmoreland addressed the safety issues required for such an event.

“The demonstrations look a lot more dangerous than they are, which is part of their effectiveness,” he wrote. “The students take all the recommended safety precautions (always wear safety glasses or face shields, keep flammables away from heat sources, wear gloves when mixing chemical solutions, etc.) and rehearse the demonstrations many times in advance to avoid any surprises. Everyone involved takes safety very seriously, and we’ve never had a mishap.”

Reactions to the event were positive. Anne Chen is a prospective student who came to WesFest from New York City.

“I think it was super cool,” Chen said. “The demonstrations were really interesting and varied. I did some of them in my chemistry class.”

Anna Grettenberg, the parent of a prospective student, was one of the most excited audience members. After the demonstrations concluded, she conducted some experiments of her own with the guidance of event organizers. Grettenberg dropped an entire banana into a pool of liquid nitrogen, freezing it instantly. Then she removed it from the pool and shattered it with a hammer.

“I loved it,” she said. “What I loved most about it was the excitement from the students; they’re so excited about what they’re doing that I found my energy going up to theirs, and I’m thinking to myself, ‘This could be so dangerous because I’m so excited right now that I want to create explosions and fire.’”