Who knew Bridgeport High School’s Ben Holbert and John Dolan knew so much about disposable diapers?

 

Thursday morning, those BHS chemistry students and several others served as mentors for students of Johnson Elementary School. As they do twice a year – once during first semester and once during second semester – the JES students took a field trip next store to BHS where, in groups, they visited several learning stations at the BHS chemistry lab.

 

Holbert and Dolan explained that it is a chemical compound called sodium polyacrylate that makes disposal diapers so absorbent. The compound is made from combining cellulose processed from trees with crystals of polyacrylate. Not only did students test the absorbency by pouring water into a diaper, but they also mixed up the compound and made sodium polyacrylate “snowballs.”

 

At other stations, students learned what makes something glow in the dark, how flame requires oxygen, fuel and a heat source, the process of sublimation, polar and non-polar properties and many other topics.

 

Chem Day is a good learning opportunity for both BHS and JES students, said Cheryl McCarthy, BHS chemistry teacher. The looks on the younger students’ faces indicated they were impressed with the science experiments taking place before them.

 

A second gallery of photos will be posted to Connect-Bridgeport this weekend.