Everyday chemistry

Do you know how to clean a penny with the simplest of ingredients?
Do you know how to keep your cut apples from turning brown so quickly?
Third-graders at Oxford Elementary do, thanks to a program called ‘Chemistry in our Everyday Lives? presented by the MSU Extension of the Oakland County 4-H Club.
Susan Thomas, who heads the enrichment programs for 4-H, visited the school last Wednesday, and showed the students how everyday items can create a chemistry experiment.
With safety goggles in place, students got to use fresh lemon juice to help keep a cut apple from oxidizing, or turning brown.
The students learned how a combination of salt and white vinegar can polish even the dirtiest penny. They also learned how the Periodic Table of Elements was created.