The 13th Chemistry Merit Badge Clinic was hosted by Jost Chemical Company, with 29 scouts attending. Approximately 8 professional chemists, 5 Jost employees, and 6 SLU Chemistry Club students helped run the event.
The day kicked off with the scouts discussing the 4 classical fields of chemistry (Natalie LaFranzo) and a safety demonstration (Justin Kuehnel, Safety Manager, Jost Chemical). Scouts then rotated through 3 hour-long stations, each run by 2 professional chemists, assisted by SLU chemistry club students. During the sessions scouts conducted a simulated Senate hearing into contamination at a scout camp and identified the contaminant (Teresa Colletti and Ed Gengenbacher), learned about emulsions and solved a crime using separation science (Dave Morganstern and Nelver Brooks), made a Cartesian diver and explored activity series (Vic Lewchenko and Brent Znosko), and took a tour of a working chemical manufacturing plant (Jost). Scouts also examined MSDSs and compared toothpaste with an abrasive household cleanser.
During lunch, each scout met with an approved merit badge counselor to verify completion of all requirements. While waiting, scouts explored the reaction of Diet Coke and Mentos (outside!), ferromagnets, sand into silicon wafers, polymer chemistry, and more.
STL ACS Chair Natalie LaFranzo discusses the four classical fields of chemistry
Our volunteers await the scout horde
Vic Lewchenko explains how the Ideal Gas Law makes Cartesian divers work
Scouts show off their Cartesian divers
“Computers and the physics of complex biological systems”
