We had a great time at Boulder Bluff Elementary (BBE) School’s Career Day today! Josh talked about what chemists do on a day-to-day basis and touched on topics like confined spaces, atmospheric testing, thermal imaging, and vapor density.
Students were able to use their heat signatures to draw on the back of a projector screen as their classmates used a thermal imaging camera to see these drawings from the other side. We discussed some of our uses for this great tool, including cold spotting with ice to more easily locate areas of work and gauging just how hot hot work becomes.
We used balloons filled with air, helium, and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) again this year to demonstrate vapor density and discuss its relevance to our inspections. We stepped up our game with 3-foot weather balloons, enabling the kids to better feel the difference between the ultra-light helium and ultra-heavy SF6.