Junior Abdul Ibrahim enjoys participating in chemistry labs because they demonstrate class subjects in an interactive way.

According to chemistry teacher Alexander Polk, many labs performed in class can be completed at home by anyone, not just a chemistry student.

“If you are not in chemistry and were not looking at the actual data behind (our labs), you could also just get at it just because it is kinda fun to see stuff change color, heat up, cool down and having a wow factor,” Polk said.

Polk said chemistry classes conducted a popcorn lab to learn about chemical reactions, and anyone with available resources could complete it at home.

“(For) the popcorn lab, you need regular popcorn kernels, oil and some sort of aluminum foil to keep the gas and stuff in. Also, (you need) something to heat up the popcorn kernels in the oil,” Polk said.

Ibrahim said he recommends the popcorn lab for anyone willing to experiment with science.

“You get to eat the popcorn and it is kind of cool to see the chemical reactions,” Ibrahim said.

Polk said classes also conducted a conservation of mass lab that could be easily done by anyone wanting to see chemical reactions.

“All you need is a normal sandwich baggy and baking soda and vinegar,” Polk said. “Those start to fizz up and they will eventually create some gas.”

Ibrahim said he enjoys participating in labs because it gives him a hands on experience with chemistry.

“Sometimes it is more fun doing labs than notes because you get to do stuff instead of sitting down at a desk,” Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim said anyone can perform experiments at home to better their understanding of science.

“You can make some popcorn and then eat it and just test stuff out,” Ibrahim said. “Sometimes you might want to do an experiment at home because it is fun and you want to see what happens.”