Chemistry: how to model alchemy

How can I demonstrate or model alchemy in a way that my classmates will remember?

Find the right ratio of copper and silver to mix together to make gold.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Take a giant vat of mercury and start picking out the protons :-)

hmm on second thoughts the mercury will probably make em forget...

best to take one bottle of platinum and 1 bottle of protons, add to a cocktail shaker and shake until it turns gold

I seem to recall reading about fraudulent alchemists would would roam the towns of Europe using slight-of-hand and other magician-style tricks to demonstrate their "power" and then swindle people out of their money. Magic is always a crowd pleaser. Beyond that, the serious alchemists were just people who wanted to be scientists but didn't quite know how. You can get more from Google/Wikipedia/your local library.