October 10, 2005 — Kids can make slime, test mystery powders, inflate balloons with gases from chemical reactions and see how much water polymers can absorb during the Saturday Oct. 15 kickoff for National Chemistry Week.

The annual event for children of all ages will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the lower Urban Room of the downtown Salt Lake City Public Library. It is the third time this event has been held in Salt Lake to celebrate National Chemistry Week, which will be observed Oct. 16-22 this year. The 2005 theme is “The Joy of Toys.”

The event is free and open to the public, and is sponsored by the local Salt Lake Section of the American Chemical Society. The hands-on activities are run by volunteers, most of whom are chemistry students at the University of Utah, Salt Lake Community College and Westminster College.

“This annual event is an opportunity for local chemists to share their love of science with children,” says Anita Orendt, Salt Lake coordinator for National Chemistry Week and an adjunct assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Utah.

Information about the event can also be obtained at the library during the Oct. 15 event or by contacting Orendt at (801) 231-2762 or orendt@chpc.utah.edu.

National Chemistry Week is an outreach program of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and is aimed at enhancing the public’s awareness of the contributions of chemistry to our everyday lives and the nation’s economy. The week is celebrated nationwide by local chapters of the American Chemical Society, industrialists, educators and promoters of chemistry awareness.

Events such as the one in Salt Lake City will be held across the country by different groups affiliated with the ACS. Please visit www.chemistry.org/ncw for more information on National Chemistry Week events. Further information on hands-on science for all ages can be found at www.chemistry.org/education.

The American Chemical Society is the world’s largest scientific society with a membership of more than 158,000 chemists and chemical engineers. The society publishes scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences, and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.