Gunpowder Lab - Daniel would be proud!

As part of our study of chemical equations, today was the Daniel Boone - Best of Kentucky - Gunpowder Championship.  Students researched recipes to make gunpowder days before the lab.  Today, student groups were given 8 grams of potassium nitrate (saltpetre) with many other ingredients they could use ... sulfur, charcoal, sugar, baking soda, salt, dishwasher detergent and more.

Students worked to prepare their samples (samples were small ... 10-30 grams) and toward the end of the class we went outside for me to light them.  Students were judged on flash (more is better) and duration of burn (less is better).  Several students had great samples and others had great fire retardant.  Congrats to Tyler and Presley ... Best of Kentucky for fall semester ... their recipe used 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal and 10% sulfur. Will put on their pict tomorrow.  Students working on this lab today below ...

We took our unit test in Genetics today ... ouch! I didn't really think it was that difficult! ... tomorrow is club period but, we will start Chapter 14 and maybe some work on anaerobic respiration if we have enough students remaining in class.

Computer Programming had their PB Lottery scored today ... on to Visual BASIC tomorrow.

Softball practice today was on the field ... some running and bunt practice against live pitching.  Tomorrow we are going to start our lifting circuit training.

Stayed in town for the Allen County BeeKeepers Meeting at 7:00.  Phil Kraft from UK was there and talked about swarming.  Got home late ... a long day!  40 people attended from 10 counties, representing over 400 hives.  I look forward to the day when I can dedicate more time to my beekeeping duties.