Liquid crystals are becoming more and more popular in today’s technology. They are in everything from televisions to pool thermometers. The Liquid Crystal Sensors Activity gives students a hands on look at what liquid crystals are and how that they can be used. Students will use laboratory techniques to synthesize their own liquid crystals which will be able to detect temperature changes.
Full Instructions
Hand Outs and More Information
Materials
- One bottle bubbles per group of 2-4 students
- One sealed vial heat-sensitive liquid crystals per group
- Liquid crystal thermal sheets for three different temperature ranges, cut into 3″ x 6″ rectangles (each group should get three sheets total – one sheet of each kind)
- Hand warmers (one per group)
- Ice packs or ice inside Zip-lock bags (one per group)
- Refrigerator magnets in the shape of words and/or other geometric shapes , placed inside opaque envelopes
Supplementary Materials:
- Teacher’s Guide: Materials and Where to Find Them (pdf)
- Transparencies: Background for the Teacher (pdf)
- Transparencies: Teaching Slides (pdf)
- Worksheet: Brainstorming the Properties of Liquid Crystals (pdf)
- Worksheet: Liquid Crystals as Sensors (pdf)
- Worksheet: Temperature Sensitive Liquid Crystals (pdf)