a few of my favorites..
Potassium + Candy Reaction
Potassium Chlorate is a compound containing potassium, chlorine and oxygen. It is often used as a disinfectant and in fireworks and explosives. When potassium chlorate is heated to melting point, any item added to it will cause a rapid disintegration in the form of an explosion (as we see in the video above). The gas coming off the potassium chlorate is oxygen. Because of this, it is often used in airplanes, space stations, and submarines as a source for oxygen. A fire on the space station Mir was attributed to this substance.
Sodium Acetate Super Saturation
Sodium acetate, when heated and cooled, becomes supersaturated in water. When it comes in contact with another object it re-crystalizes. This reaction also causes heat, and so this has a practical use in heat pads. Sodium acetate is also used as a preservative, and also gives salt and vinegar chips their distinctive taste. It is referred to in foods as E262 or sodium diacetate.
Superabsorbent Polymer
Superabsorbent polymers (also known as hydrogels) are able to absorb extremely large amounts of liquid relative to its own mass. For this reason, they are used in the commercial production of diapers, and incontinence garments, and other fields requiring protection from water or liquids such as underground cabling.
Floating on Sulfur Hexafluoride
Sulfur Hexafluoride is a colorless, odorless, non-toxic and non-flammable gas. Because it is over 5 times denser than air, it is able to be poured in to open containers and light weight objects can float on it as if it were water. Another fun use for this harmless gas is through inhalation; when inhaled, it lowers the voice drastically - the exact opposite of helium. You can see that effect here:
Briggs-Rauscher Reaction (video is in real time as the liquid heats)
The Briggs-Rauscher reaction is known as an oscillating chemical reaction. According to Wikipedia: “the freshly prepared colorless solution slowly turns an amber color, suddenly changing to a very dark blue. This slowly fades to colorless and the process repeats, about ten times in the most popular formulation, before ending as a dark blue liquid.” The reason this occurs is that the first reaction causes certain chemicals to be released in to the liquid, which then, in turn, spark a second reaction, and the process repeats itself until exhausted.
Cool eh?
tubularbills
in Chem 163, our professor had three balloons filled w/ different air.
one w/ Helium, one w/ Oxygen, and one w/ Hydrogen.
he then put the balloons up about 10 feet in the air, and lit each one w/ a candle. the helium one made a prertty sweet fireball, the oxygen one made a big boom, and the hydrogen one made the lecture hall shake.
after that, the class pretty much sucked ass. talk about blowing your load on the first date.
chem lab sucked ass, because i sucked ass at it. i broke 3 beakers, and i think two bunsen burners. or something like that. it was rediculase
shuni
wow! cool videos.
kadomony
do people read my mind or something? was just browsing tons of sodium acetate videos a couple days ago.
kadomony
quote:
Originally posted by tubularbills
he then put the balloons up about 10 feet in the air, and lit each one w/ a candle. the helium one made a prertty sweet fireball, the oxygen one made a big boom, and the hydrogen one made the lecture hall shake.
rofl, saw that once in high school. guy filled up this HUGE green balloon with hydrogen and touched the flame to it. IMMENSE fireball. I stood up and was knocked back into my seat from the pressure wave.
