Chemistry of paint: Interdisciplinary lessons and experiments for undergraduate and high school students

A chemical education research project studied how art could be incorporated into a laboratory environment with the goal of engaging more students through interdisciplinary lessons. Students can first learn about safety of chemicals through discussing paint pigments that have found to be harmful over time. Nomenclature of chemicals can be incorporated with students synthesizing paint pigments in the laboratory safely. Students use their syntheses to understand balancing chemical reactions. Solubility can be observed by dissolving the synthesized paint pigments into different mediums, and finally, students can make their own paint. In this research, the medium of paint was used to create several laboratory experiences that can be used individually or as modules in a larger unit to teach chemistry in a fun and engaging manner.