Professor Casey Hynes of the CU-Boulder chemistry department will explain "what happens when something burns" at the next CU Wizards show, "The Chemical History of a Candle," on Saturday, Nov. 27, on the CU-Boulder campus.
The hour-long show begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Chemistry Building, room 140, and is free and open to the public.
Hynes models his show loosely on the lectures that famed 19th century chemist and physicist Michael Faraday gave for young people at the Royal Institution of London. His presentation demonstrates both the chemical process of combustion and chemical reactions with oxygen and hydrogen, and it includes "lots of explosions and bright lights."
Hynes said he has always enjoyed teaching, but the main reason he became involved with the CU Wizards program was because of seeing his own children's educational experience in chemistry. "I felt that they were not exposed to the excitement of chemistry," he said. "To see real reactions and explosions, that's the fun part."
"Seeing explosions is why I got into chemistry," Hynes said.
The CU Wizards series is an annual program that provides students in grades 5 through 9 with an informal introduction to astronomy, chemistry and physics. It includes presentations by CU-Boulder faculty in various areas of expertise, ranging from biology to astrophysics.
Free parking is available in lots 169 and 396, north of the stadium, lot 378, east of the stadium, and lot 436, east of the Engineering Center. Closer parking also is available in the Euclid Avenue Autopark for a nominal fee. Anyone with a disability or special need should notify the physics office at (303) 492-6952 a few days prior to the show.
The next installment in the CU Wizards series is "BOOM! The Physics of Sound and Air Pressure" by Professor Michael Dubson of physics on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 9:30 a.m. in the Duane Physics building, room G1B30.
For more information about the CU Wizards series call (303) 492-4318.