DeKALB | The NIU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is holding an evening of demonstrations to celebrate National Chemistry Week tonight in Faraday Hall, Room 143.

The event is held every year during National Chemistry Week and features selected demonstrations that coordinate with the week’s theme. This year’s event is called “Your Home — It’s All Built on Chemistry.”

The event will inform its audience of the presence of chemistry in the home.

“People come into contact with chemistry everyday,” said David Ballantine, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

The demonstrations will involve chemicals used in building a house, as well as chemicals used in a home.

Included will be a thermite reaction, which converts rust to iron, and an experiment involving burning steel wool into iron oxide to show how iron burns. Chemists will demonstrate how mirrors are made and also conduct some polymer reactions to create a polyurethane foam reaction. Polyurethane is found in building insulation.

Although the focus will be on chemistry, people of all ages are expected to attend due to the entertaining nature of the evening.

“It’s a fun evening,” Ballantine said. “We have lots of families bringing their kids.”

The demonstration will also show the audience how to make liquid nitrogen ice cream, Ballantine said. The demonstrations are meant to teach chemistry, while also providing entertainment.

“They’re going to be really neat,” said Marissa Fenwick, a mathematics education major.