National Chemistry Week Past Themes
National Chemistry Week (NCW) began in 1987 as National Chemistry Day.
Annual themes were added in 1997 to help give direction and variety to the celebration each year by changing the focus within the field of chemistry.
We are in the process of posting the support materials that could continue to be useful in presenting activities based on a past NCW theme at any time of year.
| General Topic - Date | Theme Name - Main Focus |
| Sports Chemistry - 2008 | “Having a Ball with Chemistry”
Focuses on the chemistry of sports equipment, sports safety, and the body as it performs physical activities. |
| Careers in Chemistry - 2007 | “The Many Faces of Chemistry”
Emphasizes the diversity of the discipline and its practitioners and couples a career profile with a chemistry activity related in some way to the career. |
| Materials Chemistry, Home Safety - 2006 | “Your Home—It’s All Built on Chemistry”
Focuses on the chemicals found in objects common to most homes and how chemistry has helped to improve materials used in building homes. |
| Chemistry in Toys - 2005 | “The Joy of Toys”
Celebrates the chemistry in toys—the materials used to create them and some that use chemistry or chemical reactions as part of how they work. |
| Food and Body Chemistry - 2004 | “Health and Wellness”
Shares information about food choices and how they can influence some diseases, including diabetes. It also emphasizes the chemistry happening in various parts of the body |
| Atmospheric Chemistry and Chemical Reactions - 2003 | “Earth’s Atmosphere and Beyond!”
Celebrates improvements in materials for flight, describes the atmosphere, acid rain and the ozone layer. |
| Soaps and Detergents - 2002 | “Chemistry Keeps Us Clean!”
Discusses the chemistry of soaps and detergents, surface tension of water, and chemistry’s role in cleaning, including an article on the importance of hand washing. |
| Chemistry and Art - 2001 | “Celebrating Chemistry and Art”
Explores the role that chemistry plays in the arts and includes activities that use chemistry to make works of art. |
| Kitchen Chemistry - 2000 | “Get Cooking With Chemistry”
Examines the properties of powders used in cooking: baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, etc. It also looks at the power of chemistry in raising bread and making cheese. |
| Polymer Chemistry - 1999 | “A Global Salute To Polymers”
Investigates the properties of different polymers. |
| Pigments and Dyes - 1998 | “World of Color”
Features use of natural plant materials in a global experiment to map the natural sources for eight colors. |
| Chemistry Is Everywhere - 1997 | “Planet Chemistry”
Celebrates the 10th anniversary of the program with activities focused on hard and soft water testing, measuring pH, and making crystals with Epsom salts. |