Candy-Coated Chemistry

Abstract

If the goal of National Chemistry Week (NCW) this year was to sweeten the public’s perception of chemistry, it surely succeeded. NCW is the American Chemical Society’s largest annual outreach event, and during Oct. 19–25, volunteers from the American Chemical Society’s 186 local sections came out in force to lead hands-on activities and demonstrations at museums, shopping malls, libraries, and other public venues around the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. NCW’s mission is to educate members of the public about the importance of chemistry in their daily lives, ACS President Tom Barton says. “We all owe a great debt to those who volunteer their time to get this message out,” he says. This year’s NCW theme, “The Sweet Side of Chemistry—Candy,” was especially easy for kids to relate to, says George Heard, chair of the ACS Committee on Community Activities, which coordinates NCW with the help of the ACS Office ...