Cooking Up Some On-camera Chemistry

December 9, 2011

From chocolate-chip cookies to toffee, YouTube visitors can find out what ingredients make for sweet scientific success thanks to a series of videos produced by students in Christine O’Neill’s Chemistry in the Kitchen course. Working with staff at the College’s Media Center, class members have produced short educational videos on culinary topics such as what makes for a better batter.

“I have always enjoyed cooking and baking in the kitchen, but I’ve sometimes wondered why, when I follow the same recipe, the end product can vary slightly,” says the visiting instructor in chemistry. “The class explores why ‘following’ the recipe may give different results. By learning about ingredients’ physical and chemical properties, students are able to study the role that each substance plays in a recipe.

“I thought the video component would give students an opportunity to express their creative side,” O’Neill continues. “The subject matter is open, but the students are responsible for all aspects of the project, from choosing and researching the topic to filming and editing the video.”

Check out the Chemistry in the Kitchen YouTube channel for a taste of what O’Neill’s students discovered.