February

Fashion
THE CHEMISTRY CALENDAR

The Chemistry Calendar is a joint project between Molecular Frontiers, Swedish universities
Chalmers and University of Gothenburg, and science center Universeum, in celebration of
the International Year of Chemistry 2011. Twelve original and inspiring videos, one for each
month of the year, show how chemistry plays an important role in our lives. The topics of
the monthly videos follow the themes recommended by the Swedish Chemical Society:

January Art and culture

February Fashion

March Climate and energy

April Chemical Industry

May The chemistry of Love

June Water and air

July Sustainable development

August The chemistry of Sports

September Communication

October Health

November Food

December Alfred Nobel and the Nobel prizes

The videos are available on www.youtube.com/chemistrycalendar. You can also watch them
on MoleClues (www.MoleClues.org), where there are links to videos, games, news and
interviews that relate to the content of the videos.

For each of the videos, there is downloadable teaching material, with facts and classroom
experiments that can be used together with the video to make a fun lesson plan!
The Chemistry Calendar – Theme: Fashion

FEBRUARY – FASHION

Chemical research is important to make new materials that can improve our daily lives in a
number of different contexts, and fashion is not an exception.

The February video ”Dress up in polymers” starts with something that is well-known to most
people – GoreTex. How does it work? And what is a polymer? The video shows through
some examples how common polymers are in clothes.

This folder includes background info for the video and some classroom experiments, with
teacher notes.

CONTENTS

Dress up in polymers ............................................................................................................................................... 3

Make your own body lotion .................................................................................................................................... 7
Teacher notes ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
Lab instructions ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Growing crystals ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
Teacher notes ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
Lab instructions ................................................................................................................................................. 12
Functional materials.............................................................................................................................................. 15
Teacher notes .................................................................................................................................................... 15
Lab instructions ................................................................................................................................................. 17
Making gold........................................................................................................................................................... 18
Teacher notes .................................................................................................................................................... 18
Lab instructions ................................................................................................................................................. 19
Creating a scent..................................................................................................................................................... 20
Teacher notes .................................................................................................................................................... 20
Lab instructions ................................................................................................................................................. 22

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DRESS UP IN POLYMERS

When you hear the words fashion and beauty, chemistry is probably not the first things that
comes to mind. The fact is, however, that chemistry has played a major role in man’s hunt
for improved appearance. Take all the skin care products, for example. There is much
chemistry going on behind these, as they are supposed to have softening, moisturizing and
sometimes even ”anti-aging” properties. Smelling good is also something that is closely
connected to chemistry, as perfumes are composed of different molecules with varying
structure in order to generate various scents. Combining chemistry and textiles is something
that has caught a lot of attention lately. Why not let a nice sweater also have cooling
properties on a hot summer day? Why not let your fancy curtains glow as the room becomes
dark in the evening? Indeed, chemistry has found and will continue to find new and exciting
uses in today’s modern society!

WHAT IS A POLYMER?

A polymer is a chemical compound that consists of many repeating smaller units, so called
monomers. You can think of a polymer as a necklace, where each pearl is a monomer.
Depending on which type of monomer and in which order and how the monomers are put
together, the polymer can have different properties. Several Nobel prizes in Chemistry have
been awarded to scientists working in the field of polymers. In 1953, Hermann Staudinger
received the Prize for showing that polymers exist. In 1974, the Prize was awarded to Paul
Flory for, among other things, his studies on how a polymer is formed. In 2000, the Nobel
Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Alan J. Heeger, Alan G. MacDiarmid och Hideki Shirakawa
for their discovery that plastics can conduct electricity. Polymer science is clearly an exciting
research field, and there is still much activity going on.

Polymer of repeating units, monomers.

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SYNTHETIC POLYMERS

Plastics are a form of synthetic polymer. By varying the type of monomer that builds up the
polymer and by “attaching” various molecule groups on the polymer chain, the material can
have very different properties. Plastics can be soft, hard, water soluble, water proof, elastic
and endure high temperatures. Because of this, plastics have found a variety of uses in a
number of different types of industry, such as packaging, building and automotive industry.

Nylon is another example of a synthetic polymer that is formed in the interface between two
different liquids. The solutions contain hexamethylenediamine and sodium hydroxide in
water, and sebacoyl chloride in hexane. A continuous reaction is the result and the product
is a long polymer chain.

The chemical structure of two different types of plastic. Polyethylene (left) is very elastic while polystyrene
(right) is hard and rigid. Everything that is within the parenthesis is repeated many times (n), thus forming a
polymer.

NATURAL POLYMERS

In every cell in the body, there is a natural polymer in the form of DNA, our genetic code.
DNA is build of millions of nitrogen bases, that together form the characteristic DNA helix.
The DNA codes for all the proteins in our bodies. These proteins are also biopolymers, as
they consist of a combination of 20 different amino acids that together for a single, long
chain.

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The four building blocks of the DNA helix: thymine, adenine, cytosine and guanine.

Silk is another natural polymer, that is formed by the larvae of the silk worm, as they spin
cocoons out of a long single strand of silk thread. Silk is known for its luster, appearing to
have different colors depending on which angle you look at it. This is due to the triangular
shape of the fiber. When light hits the polymers, it spreads at different angles It is also an
elastic material that can be stretched and then will recover to its original size.

GORETEX

GoreTex is a special membrane that consists of a network of the polymer Teflon, also called
polytetrafluroethylene, PTFE. The structure of this network forms tiny pores allowing water
to pass only in the form of vapor. Water droplets, which are considerably larger than single
water molecules, cannot cross the membrane. This makes GoreTex able to transport sweat
away from our bodies while water in the form of e.g. rain or snow is kept out. It was in 1978
that Wilbert L. Gore invented GoreTex technology and since then the interest in this type of
material has increased steadily.

Water vapor (sweat) is transported through the network of polymers in the GoreTex membrane. Water droplets
cannot pass the membrane, making the material water proof.

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OTHER USES

GoreTex is actually used not only as functional material in jackets, shoes, pants etc. It is also
used as cable material in among other things submarines, printers and brain probes.
Surgeons use this polymer technology to make artificial tissue due to its strong,
biocompatible properties. A natural artery can be replaced by GoreTex membrane, which
can deal with the high blood pressure without tearing. These are just a few examples of the
different uses of GoreTex material and we can expect more clever applications in the future!

TEXTILES OF THE FUTURE

How about having a microphone in your glove, measuring your pulse and immune system
with the aim of a sweater, having curtains that glow in the dark…? These are a few examples
of textiles for the future already available on the market today. Research projects like Smart
Textiles in Borås, Sweden, combine technology and textile material, and collaborations
between many research groups will result in materials that we never would have thought of
as possible...

A sweater that can measure EKG data. Photo: Jan Berg

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MAKE YOUR OWN BODY LOTION

TEACHER NOTES

For whom? All ages

Throughout history, man has looked to improve appearance in various ways. The Egyptians
used castor oil for hair treatment, and the Romans made body lotions from beeswax, olive
oil and rose oil. Beauty products have always had a pleasant scent, most likely in order to
hide the fact that people did not wash frequently and that soap was not used until the
Middle Ages – and few had access to this luxury. Today, body lotions are most often used to
moisturize the skin after washing, resulting in a comfortable feel.

This body lotion does not contain any preservatives, which means that it should be used
shortly after making it. The use of bee wax increases its durability somewhat.

Beeswax consists of myricin (about 65 weight per cent), a mixture of esters, long-chain
alcohols and carboxylic acids. The worker bees produce bee wax from glands under their
abdomen. After honey has been collected, beeswax and remains of honey can be separated
by boiling the frames from the hive, making the beeswax float on top.

The beeswax in the body lotion provides skin coating, which gives the skin a certain luster,
prevents water evaporation and protects it from being affected by water from the outside.
The olive oil softens the skin and can enter the outermost layer of the epidermis.

It is possible to further develop this experiment to make lipstick or cerate.

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MAKE YOUR OWN BODY LOTION

LAB INSTRUCTIONS

You need:

• Oliv oil
• Almond oil or high quality sunflower oil
• Beeswax
• (Optional) Aroma oil and food color
• A saucepan with boiling water or a hot water bath

Procedure:

1. Mix one part beeswax with three to four parts olive oil in a bowl. Divide the beeswax
in smaller pieces to speed up the mixing.
2. Put the bowl in the water bath to make the beeswax melt slowly. If the solution
becomes opaque you can let it pass through a tea sieve. Adjust the viscosity with
more oil to make it more liquid or more wax to make it thicker.
3. Stir the lotion while it cools to make it smooth.
4. (Optional) Add a few drops of aroma oil as the lotion cools, if you want it not to smell
honey. If you also want to change its color, you can add a few drops of food color.
5. Put the lotion in small jars with lids.

Things to discuss:

Where does beeswax come from and what is its function in Nature?

Why does your skin feel softer if you use this lotion?

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GROWING CRYSTALS

TEACHER NOTES

For whom? All ages.

Depending on how old the students are, the difficulty of the theory part can be
adjusted. The experiments can be performed as group projects. The students
can then divide the responsibility of handling the crystal so that everyone
makes a contribution. The experiment can also be performed individually, but
assisting every student in the first part of the experiments (dissolving the salt)
means a lot of work. The experiment covers solubility, evaporation,
solid/liquid/gas.

Most kids are fascinated by crystals. They are both beautiful to look at and mysterious. Who
hasn’t heard stories of the seer looking into the future in a crystal ball. In this experiment,
the students get to make their own crystals using a simple method. They will observe how a
solid is dissolved and returns to solid state as the liquid evaporates – crystals are formed.

A crystal is a solid that consists of atoms, ions or molecules arranged in a unified pattern.
This gives the crystal a specific shape, color or other characteristic properties. Diamond and
graphite are two examples of crystals that are both made up of the element carbon but very
different thanks to the differences in structure.

Recrystallization is a method used to purify solid material dissolving it in a liquid and then
letting the liquid evaporate to make the material crystallize. Depending on the procedure
used, it is possible to achieve many small crystals or a few large ones.

There are different types of crystals, depending on the positions of the chemical bonds and
thus the shape of the crystal. Seven different crystal shapes (lattices) exist, e.g. cubic,
tetragonal and hexagonal. You can also categorize crystals according to their chemical
properties.

• Covalent crystal – one large molecule, e.g. diamond, with a very high melting point
• Metal crystal
• Ionic crystal, e.g. NaCl – the atoms are held together by electrostatic bonds. Hard
crystals with a relatively high melting point
• Molecular crystals – Molecules that are connected through weaker bonds like van
der Waals bonds or hydrogen bonds, e.g. sugar. These crystals are softer and have
lower melting points
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There are crystals that are made artificially as well as crystals that are formed in a natural
way, e.g. the minerals quartz, diamond and corundum (corundum exists in the two variants
sapphire and ruby). Even a snoflake is a type of crystal – an ice crystal.

HABITUS
The crystals can assume different shapes, habitus. What shape
a crystal assumes depends on how fast the different surfaces of
the crystal grow compared to each other. The surfaces of the
crystal can be looked upon as cross-sectional areas that can be
drawn in various ways through the crystal. Alum belongs to the
cubic crystal system and its habitus has the shape of an
octaeder.
Different crystal planes.
© Svante Åberg, Umeå University

Examples of crystals from the cubic crystal system. The crystals can assume different shapes, habitus.
Alum crystals resemble the shape to the right.
Illustration: Svante Åberg, Umeå University
ALUM
Alum (hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate, AlK(SO4)2·12 H2O) is a double salt (contains
both potassium and aluminum). Alum is the most well-known double salt but the potassium
can be exchanged for another large monovalent ion, e.g. Cs+, NH4+ or Rb+ and the aluminum
can be exchanged for a relatively small trivalent ion, e.g. Cr3+, Fe3+ or Co3+.

The crystal that is grown in this experiment crystallizes in the cubic system, as an octaeder –
just like Alum. Due to their shape, it is rather easy to achieve large crystals when you grow
them yourself.

MANUFACTURING AND USAGE

Alum is manufactured by crystallizing a solution of potassium sulfate and aluminum sulfate.
It can be found in drug stores, and you can use it to make your own Play-Doh. It has been
used in health care, leather craft, wool dying etc. As with other sulfate salts, it can be used to
purify water. A solution of the sulfate salt is acidic. If you almost neutralize the solution with
calcium hydroxide, the hydroxide precipitates and the water is purified from contaminants
that fall to the bottom along with the precipitate.

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HOW CRYSTALS ARE FORMED AND HOW THEY GROW

In order for crystals to grow, nuclei must first be formed as a starting point for the growth.
The nuclei are formed in a process called nucleation. This process can either start with the
molecules themselves, or with the aim of some solid material that is places in the solution.
These two methods are described below.

S PONTANEOUS NUCLEATION
When the molecules of the solid that you have dissolved are in solution, they rarely
encounter molecules of the same kind. When it does happen, forces between the molecules
bring them together. Most often, they only stay in contact for a brief moment before other
forces pull them apart, Sometimes, though, they stick together long enough for a third
molecule to meet them, and then a fourth, a fifth etc. When a sufficient number of
molecules, a critical number, are gathered in such an aggregate, the forces holding the
molecules together are bigger than the forces that pull them apart. A proto crystal is
formed, where the crystallization can proceed. Other molecules in solution begin to be
affected by the forces and are attracted to the crystal, which continues to grow until it can
no longer stay in solution. The concentration of the compound decreases as the molecules
that used to be in solution are added to the growing crystal. This can be avoided if the
evaporation of the liquid compensates for the disappearance of the molecules in solution.
When an equilibrium between these molecules in solution and in the crystal is established,
the crystal stops growing.

I NDUCED NUCLEATION
The surface of a solid in a liquid, e.g. a rock, acts as a meeting place for molecules. The
molecules of a dissolved compound stay briefly on the surface of the solid until the forces
push the molecule away again. The molecules will form aggregates on the surface, in the
same way as described above. Proto crystals are formed and the crystallization begins. The
crystals will grow faster in a solution that is close to being saturated, since the probability of
molecules bumping into each other is larger. In a solution that is heated, the forces pushing
molecules apart are stronger, which means that the aggregates will not have time to form
until the molecules move back into the solution. This is why the crystallization does not
begin until the solution has cooled down.

Source (in Swedish): Umeå universitet Skolkemi: http://school.chem.umu.se/

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GROWING CRYSTALS

LAB INSTRUCTIONS

You need:

• Alum (KAl(SO4)2·12 H2O)

• Water (H2O)
• 2 beakers
• Spoon
• Thread/nylon string
• Stick + Play-Doh (or similar)

Procedure:

The amount of alum that is to be dissolved in water depends on the size of the crystal you
intend to grow. The alum should be dissolved until the solution is saturated, i.e. until no
more alum can be dissolved.

• Preparation of a saturated solution

1. Start by heating the water in a microwave safe beaker

2. Dissolve roughly the double amount of alum (e.g. 1 dl water = 2 dl alum)

3. Stir until everything has been dissolved

4. Heat the liquid some more and check that all of the alum is dissolved. If that is
the case, add another table spoon and repeat the procedure until there is
alum at the bottom of the beaker that does not dissolve.

5. Allow the solution to cool down to room temperature. This is a good time to
take a break and continue later, when the solution has cooled down.

6. Now it is important to pour the saturated solution into a clean beaker. Make
sure that no alum crystals are transferred. (This is important since otherwise
the crystal will form at the bottom instead of on the string. If some small

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crystal follows with the solution anyway you can add a few ml of water and
stir. This will dissolve the crystal.)

• Crystal growth

1. Tie the string on a small stick, e.g. a pencil. If you use nylon string, you will
have to roughen the end of the string first using a sharp object. This will allow
the crystals so stick to the string.

2. Let the end of the string hang down in the solution, right beneath the surface.

3. Attach the stick to the beaker with Play-Doh

4. Put a filter paper across the opening of the beaker to slow down the
evaporation.

5. Put the beaker in a dark place (to make the evaporation as slow as possible)

6. After a couple of days, crystals have formed on the string. To grow a really
beautiful crystal, you have to remove all crystals but the largest/finest,
allowing it to continue to grow. Make sure that the crystal always hangs right
beneath the surface. In case a precipitate is formed on the sides of the
beaker, transfer the solution and the crystal to a clean beaker.

Now, all you have to do is wait and regularly take care of the crystal by removing unwanted
crystals, making sure that the beaker is clean and that the crystal is beneath the surface. If
you are lucky, in a few weeks you will have a large crystal to put in your bookshelf.

Variation 1

Begin by growing a crystal out of a solution of chromium alum, CrK(SO4)2·12 H2O, which
results in a crystal with a beautiful, dark violet color. Unfortunately, it breaks down at room
temperature. To prevent this from happening, move the violet crystal to a solution of alum
instead. Now, a protective, transparent layer will be formed on the crystal. The final crystal
can be stored in room temperature.

Note that Chromium(III)salts are hazardous and should be handled with care. Avoid skin
contact and spilling material on the lab bench and on your clothes. Rinse with water if you
do spill something. Chromium(III) salts should not be handled by anyone under the age of
13.

Variation 2

Can you grow crystals out of any other compounds than alum? Try table salt (NaCl) or sugar.

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Variation 3

If you are in a hurry, you can speed up the crystallization by adding a few drops of ethanol in
the salt solution. Ethanol decreases the solubility of the salt by lowering the polarity of the
solvent. But don’t add to much ethanol! That makes the crystallization proceed to fast, and
the crystals will not be as regular in shape.

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FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS

TEACHER NOTES

For whom: Ages 10-12

Why does cotton attract so much water?

One explanation lies in the chemical structure of cellulose. Cellulose consists of long chains
of glucose molecules (Fig 1)

Fig 1. Left: glucose. Right: cellulose

The cellulose chains contain many –OH groups. These can be viewed as “half” a water
molecule and have therefore similar properties. One of these properties is to create so-
called hydrogen bonds. Hydrogen bonds occur because oxygen attracts electrons to a larger
extent than hydrogen. This makes the oxygen slightly negative while the hydrogen becomes
slightly positive. Just like the north and south poles of a magnet are attracted to each other,
the positive hydrogen will be drawn towards a negative oxygen.

This is why water ”attaches” well to cellulose.

Another explanation could be that cellulose fibers are relatively porous and that water can
be found in voids.

The synthetic material in functional clothes consist of polymers composed of units with
fewer –OH groups. Some are made from plain hydrocarbons, compounds that only contain
carbon and hydrogen. One such material is polypropene (also called polypropylene), which is
made from propene (Fig 2).
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Fig 2. Left: propene. Right: polypropene

The polypropene fibers are not as porous as cellulose fibers, and there are no –OH groups
that can attract water. The result is a material that does not bind as much water as cotton.

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FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS

LAB INSTRUCTIONS

When you exercise, your body produces sweat. If your clothes become wet from the sweat,
and retain it on your body, they become heavy and your skin becomes cold. Nowadays,
many new textile materials emerge, especially suitable for sports activities. The goal is to be
able to exercise without sweat remaining on your body, keeping the skin dry. Let’s see how a
few materials differ!

You need:

• Some t-shirts made from various materials, e.g. cotton, polyester/cotton, wool and a
functional t-shirt. Let the students bring their own sports clothes!
• A large container for water
• En våg.

Procedure:

Draw a table that you can fill out with data from the experiments. Fill a container with water.
Measure the weight of each t-shirt before wetting it. Soak the t-shirt in water and squeeze
the excess water out of it. Measure its weight again. Can you feel the difference? Can you
measure a difference in weight? How many percent does it increase?

Material Weight Weight Increase in percent

(before water bath) (after water bath)

Things to discuss:

Which material is most accepts most water? Which material do you think is best suited for
wearing closest to your body on a day skiing in the mountain?

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MAKING GOLD

TEACHER NOTES

For whom: Ages 10-15

Many people like gold! The problem is that gold is expensive. In the old days, alchemists
tried to make gold out of cheaper metals. This was called transmutation. They all failed!

Problemet är att guld är dyrt. De gamla alkemisterna försökte i flera århundraden framställa
guld från billigare metaller. Detta kallade man för transmutation. Alla misslyckades!

In this experiment, we will try to make “gold” from copper. This is how it works:

When you put a piece of copper into a NaOH/Zinc bath, zinc will stick to the copper surface.
This think zinc layer looks like silver. If you scratch the ”silver surface”, you can see that
there is copper beneath it.

When the piece of copper, covered in zinc, is heated, zinc and copper melt together, forming
brass. Such blends of two metals are called alloys. Alloys are used to change the properties
of the pure metals. Brass has a melting point of 900-940 degrees Celsius, depending on the
proportions of the two metals. This is why it is important not to heat the sample too much,
making the brass melt.

Rusting of iron is a well-known phenomenon. By mixing chromium into the iron, rusting can
be prevented. When the amount of chromium exceeds 12%, the chromium on the surface
will oxidize and form a very thing protective layer that protects the iron from rusting.

Some other common alloys:

Steel: An alloy of iron and carbon. Used in e.g. car bodies.

Nickel silver: Also called nickel brass. An alloy of copper, zinc and nickel. A common mixture
is 54 - 67% copper, 22 - 29% zinc och 9 - 20% nickel.
Bronze: Various copper alloys. The most common one is a mix of copper and tin. By varying
the ration of copper and tin, as well as manufacturing method. The material can have very
different properties, to be used for example in church bells and canons.
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MAKING GOLD

LAB INSTRUCTIONS

You need:

• Beaker that can hold 100 ml water

• Heating plate
• Pieces of copper
• Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
• Zinc powder
• Gas burner
• Tweezers

Note this!!!
NaOH is very corrosive. Anyone making the experiment should wear protective goggles,
and a lab coat or an apron. If sodium hydroxide makes contact with your skin, rinse with
soap and plenty of water.

For a successful experiment, the copper must be clean. Use steel wool or autosol chrome
cleaner. Wash the copper thoroughly with soap to make sure there is no fat on it.

Procedure:

1. Dissolve 4 g NaOH in 100 ml water while stirring (the solution will become warm)
2. Add a teaspoon of zinc powder in the NaOH solution and heat it on the heating plate
until it almost boils.
3. Put a polished piece of copper into the NaOH/Zinc solution. After a while, you can
see a silver surface appear.
4. Use tweezers to pick up the copper piece and rinse it with water.
5. Heat the copper piece with the gas burner. When warm enough, the color will
change from silver to gold. Put the “gold” in water to cool it down. Overheating will
make the gold color disappear.

Things to discuss:

Is it really silver and gold that is formed? Find out the density of copper, silver and gold. By
weighing the sample you can find out if it is really silver and gold – what was the volume of
the copper piece?
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CREATING A SCENT

TEACHER NOTES

For whom: Ages 11-14

The characteristic scent from a perfume comes from the mixture of molecules in the
solution, each associated with a particular odor. Some of these odorants are also found in
fruits and are typically so-called esters. Some of these esters are simple molecules that,
when mixed in the right proportions, contribute to taste and smell. You can still identify
certain esters as characteristic of a particular fruit and use them as artificial flavor in for
example candy – or as odorants in perfumes.

In a chemistry lab, it is relatively “easy” to make various esters. The simplest procedure is
called Fischer esterification. To make a Fischer esterification, you mix alcohol and a
carboxylic acid together with a small (catalytic) amount of strong acid, e.g. hydrochloric acid
or sulfuric acid, and heat the mixture.

During the course of the reaction, the alcohol and the acid will be joined together, while
water leaves (Fig 1).

Fig 1: Reaction between salicylic acid and methanol.

In this experiment we have made an ester on the carboxyl group in salicylic acid. If you
instead make an ester with acetic acid on the –OH group, acetylsalicylic acid is formed,
which is the active compound in e.g. Aspirin (Fig 2).

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Fig 2: Reaction between salicylic acid and acetic acid.

Salicylic acid is named from the source of the compound, salix plants. The bark of such plants
has been long been used to make solutions to reduce fever and as painkillers. Already 400
B.C., Hippocrates wrote about a bitter-tasting powder, made from salix bark, with these
properties. Native Americans also knew how to use the salix bark.

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CREATING A SCENT

LAB INSTRUCTIONS

You need:

• Salicylic acid
• Methanol
• Concentrated sulfuric acid (very corrosive)
• Test rube
• Protective goggles
• Lab coat or apron

Note this!!!
Concentrated sulfuric acid is very corrosive and must, therefore, be handled with
appropriate care. Anyone performing this experiment must use protective goggles and lab
coat or apron. If you get acid on your skin, rinse with soap and plenty of water. If you get
acid in your eyes, rinse with plenty of water (for about 10 minutes) and then seek medical
assistance.

Procedure:

1. Put some salicylic acid in a test tube. Smell it carefully, take notice that it doesn’t
smell much.
2. Pour some methanol in the test tube, enough to cover the crystals.
3. Add a drop of sulfuric acid and heat the test tube in a warm water bath to boil away
the methanol
4. Smell the test tube.

Things to discuss:

Where can you find this scent? Which esters do you find in e.g. pears, bananas end
pineapples? Can compounds that smell bad be altered to smell good? Can salicylic acid be
used for something else?

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