Managing Auditory Risk from Acoustically Impulsive Chemical Demonstrations

Chemical demonstrations are an integral part of the process of how students construct meaning from chemical principles, but may introduce risks to students and presenters. Some demonstrations are known to be extremely loud and present auditory hazards; little has been done to assess the risks to edu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of chemical education 2014-10, Vol.91 (10), p.1661-1666
Main Authors: Macedone, Jeffrey H, Gee, Kent L, Vernon, and Julia A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acoustics
Auditory Perception
Auditory Stimuli
Balloons
Chemistry
College Science
Demonstrations (Educational)
Elastic waves
Explosions
Gases
Guns (ordnance)
Hazard assessment
Hydrogen
Laboratory Equipment
Levels
Methanol
Organic chemistry
Oxygen
Polymethyl methacrylate
Pressure
Quality
Risk
Risk management
Safety
Science Instruction
Science Laboratories
Scientific Concepts
Sound
Sound pressure
Students
Teaching Methods
Undergraduate Study
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Summary:Chemical demonstrations are an integral part of the process of how students construct meaning from chemical principles, but may introduce risks to students and presenters. Some demonstrations are known to be extremely loud and present auditory hazards; little has been done to assess the risks to educators and students. Using laboratory-grade equipment, we have measured the average peak sound pressure levels for several common chemical demonstrations, such as methanol cannons, the catalyzed combustion of hydrogen and oxygen, explosive mixtures of gases in balloons, and others. The purpose of this work is not only to determine which reactions pose an auditory risk, but also to investigate alternate presentation methods so that the demonstration can be performed under safe conditions. This included reducing quantities of reactants and the use of a Plexiglas “blast shield” to reduce the intensity of the pressure wave. We also discuss using protective devices to reduce sound pressure levels of the demonstrations.
ISSN:0021-9584
1938-1328
DOI:10.1021/ed400896h