Kids, tell your teacher that you would like your class to do a chemistry scavenger hunt! These are really popular assignments where students are asked to identify or bring in items that fit a description. Examples of scavenger hunt items are below. Many of these topics have been tackled in our previous 150+ columns. A partial list of possible “answers” to 5 items is also provided – you can find more at the website below.

Please note:  All chemicals and experiments can entail an element of risk, and no experiments should be performed without proper adult supervision.

First, start with the clues. Find:

1. An element
2. A heterogeneous mixture
3. A homogenous mixture
4. A gas-liquid solution
5. A malleable substance
6. A solid-liquid solution
7. A substance that has a volume of 1 cm3
8. An edible example of a physical change
9. An edible example of a chemical change
10. A pure compound containing ionic bonds
11. A pure compound with covalent bonds
12. A mixture that can be separated by filtration
13. A substance with a density less than 1g/mL
14. A substance with a density more than one
15. An acid
16. A metal
17. A non-metal
18. Immiscible liquids
19. A base with a pH greater than 9
20. A polymer

Sample answers:

1. aluminum foil, copper wire, aluminum can, iron nail

4. a soda

5. play-doh or modeling clay

7. sugar cube

8. melting ice cream

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Kathleen Carrado Gregar, PhD, Argonne National Labs 
[email protected]
October 2007

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Reference: Anne Marie Helmenstine
at http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistry101/a/scavenger.htm