Photo opportunities: San Francisco youngsters engage in hands-on science activities

SAN FRANCISCO –– Kids and families are invited to learn about the fascinating world of chemistry through hands-on, age-appropriate activities at the Exploratorium on Saturday, April 1.  Members of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS’) local sections and college groups will lead the activities.

The ACS Presidential Outreach Event, “Exploring Our World through Chemistry,” will include eight tables of hands-on activities and demonstrations, such as:

• Starch Search: Discover which foods contain starch and which do not. Using chemistry, we will test for the molecule in foods using the same detector pens used to distinguish counterfeit dollar bills, which contain starch, from real money.
• Colorful Lather Printing: Make your own art using chemistry! Learn how the properties of paper, soap and water can be used to create beautiful marbled patterns.
• Iron for Breakfast: Is your cereal magnetic? Let’s see! Using strong magnets, we will pull iron, an essential nutrient, from breakfast cereals. Kids and parents alike are amazed at the amounts of this element that can be found in delicious food!

ACS is holding its national meeting in San Francisco from Sunday, April 2, through Thursday, April 6. It features more than 14,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.

What: Hands-on chemistry experiments for kids of all ages

Where: Exploratorium, Pier 15, The Embarcadero at Green St., San Francisco

When: Saturday, April 1, Noon-4 p.m. Pacific Time

Who: Kids, families and anyone else interested in chemistry are encouraged to attend

Social Media: Event hash tags - #CelebratingChemistry, #CCED and #ChemistsCelebrateEarthDay; Twitter handle - @AmerChemSociety; Instagram handle - @AmerChemSociety; Facebook page - ChemistsCelebrateEarthDay; National meeting hashtag - #ACSsanfran

Note: For directions, visit the Exploratorium website at https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/location-directions. All visitors must purchase Exploratorium tickets.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With nearly 157,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.