[radicality]

Hello

I would really appreciate if someone could help me find a topic to do a lab relating chemistry and a forest (anything forest related). There will be about 6-7 hours to do the actual lab on the day, and the level is 2nd year of High School chemistry (we are doing acids/bases, equilibrium etc), so nothing too complex or that can't be done within the time.

My teacher told me that there needs to be purpose to the experiment, something that I'm trying to find out. (I asked about dipping leaves in acid and noting the result and he said no because there doesn't seem to be a purpose..)

So could anyone please somehow relate any kind of forest to chemistry, and come up with an experiment? Thanks a LOT!

[chrisbb]

How about the acidity of soil?

If you take samples of soil around certain areas etc, and then measure the pH, is that a good idea?

[Munfred]

Is producing potassium hydroxide with ashes a valid suggestion?

It's a quite strong base and has many important roles nowdays, and it's fairly easy to make out of normal wood ash. Just filter some ashes and collect the liquid, it'll be a yellowish solution of KOH dissolved on water. Here's a good link (I actually made some of it inspired by that link) its about hydrolysis, but the first part explains how to make KOH with ashes (which would be used as a catalyst on the reaction)

http://pulse8.i8.com/h2o.htm