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-
- THE CHEMIST'S CORNER
- ARTICLE #2: HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS
- BY ZAPHOD BEEBLEBROX/MPG
-
- UPLOADED BY -THE TRIXTER-
-
-
- THIS ARTICLE DEALS WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO SOME INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS
- WITH COMMON HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS. SOME MAY OR MAY NOT WORK DEPENDING ON THE CON
- CENTRATION OF CERTAIN CHEMICALS IN DIFFERENT AREAS AND BRANDS. I WOULD SUGGEST
- THAT THE PERSON DOING THESE EXPERIMENTS HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF CHEMISTRY, ESPEC
- IALLY FOR THE MORE DANGEROUS EXPERIMENTS.
- I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY PEOPLE USING THIS INFO
- RMATION. IT IS PROVIDED FOR USE BY PEOPLE KNOWLEDGABLE IN CHEMISTRY WHO ARE INT
- ERESTED IN SUCH EXPERIMENTS AND CAN SAFELY HANDLE SUCH EXPERIMENTS.
-
- =======================================
- ========================================
-
-
- I. A LIST OF HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS AND THEIR COMPOSITION
-
- VINEGAR: 3-5% ACETIC ACID
- BAKING SODA: SODIUM BICARBONATE
- DRAIN CLEANERS: SODIUM HYDROXIDE
- SANI-FLUSH: 75% SODIUM BISULFATE
- AMMONIA WATER: AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE
- CITRUS FRUIT: CITRIC ACID
- TABLE SALT: SODIUM CHLORIDE
- SUGAR: SUCROSE
- MILK OF MAGNESIA- MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE
- TINCTURE OF IODINE- 47% ALCOHOL, 4% IODINE
- RUBBING ALCOHOL- 70 OR 99% (DEPENDS ON BRAND) ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL (DO NOT DRINK!)
-
- ETC...
-
-
- EXP #1: YE OLD FIZZ EXPERIMENT
-
- MIX VINEGAR WITH BAKING SODA. IT PRODUCES SODIUM ACETATE AND CARBONIC ACID. CA
- RBONIC ACID QUICKLY DECOMPOSES INTO CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER, RESULTING IN THE
- "FIZZ".
- THIS SIMPLE REACTION CAN BE CONTAINEDIN A SMALL BOTTLE OR SOMETHING, AND WHEN
- ENOUGH PRESSURE BUILDS UP IT WILL BREAK OPEN. I SINCERELY DOUBT THAT IT WILL B
- LOW "ALL FOUR WALLS OFF THE HOUSE" AS SOME LOSER WROTE IN HIS SAFEHOUSE ARTICLE
- . THE SAME BASIC THING CAN BE DONE WITH DRY ICE & WATER, BAKING POWDER & WATER,
- CITRIC ACID & BAKING SODA, AND MANY OTHER COMBINATIONS.
-
- EXP #2: A FRUITY BATTERY
-
- IF YOU'RE EVER IN NEED OF A LITTLE POWER, GET YOUR HANDS ON THESE:
-
- A CITRUS FRUIT (LEMON, ORANGE, ETC)
- A SMALL ZINC STRIP
- A SMALL COPPER STRIP
-
- JUST STICK THE ZINC STRIP IN ONE END OF A LEMON AND A COPPER STRIP IN THE
- OTHER. YOU NOW HAVE A 1.5 VOLT BATTERY! JUST ATTACH THE WIRES TO THE COPPER &
- ZINC STRIPS...
-
-
- EXP #3: GENERATING CHLORINE GAS
-
- THIS IS SLIGHTLY MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE OTHER TWO EXPERIMENTS, SO YOU SHOUILD
- KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING BEFORE YOU TRY THIS...
-
- EVER WONDER WHY AMMONIA BOTTLES ALWAYS SAY 'DO NOT MIX WITH CHLORINE BLEACH',
- AND VISA-VERSA? THAT'S BECAUSE IF YOU MIX AMMONIA WATER WITH AJAX OR SOMETHING
- LIKE IT, IT WILL GIVE OFF CHLORINE GAS. TO CAPTURE IT, GET A LARGE BOTTLE AND P
- UT AJAX IN THE BOTTOM. THEN POUR SOME AMMONIA DOWN INTO THE BOTTLE. SINCE THE C
- HLORINE IS HEAVIER THAN AIR, IT WILL STAY DOWN IN THERE UNLESS YOU USE LARGE AM
- OUNTS OF EITHER AJAX OR AMMONIA (DON'T!). FOR SOMETHING FUN TO DO WITH CHLORINE
- STAY TUNED....
-
-
- EXP #4: CHLORINE + TURPENTINE
-
- TAKE A SMALL CLOTH OR RAG AND SOAK ITIN TURPENTINE. QUICKLY DROP IT INTO THE
- BOTTLE OF CHLORINE. IT SHOULD GIVE OFFA LOT OF BLACK SMOKE AND PROBABLY START
- BURNING...
-
-
- EXP #5: GENERATING HYDROGEN GAS
-
- TO GENERATE HYDROGEN, ALL YOU NEED ISAN ACID AND A METAL THAT WILL REACT WITH
- THAT ACID. TRY VINEGAR (ACETIC ACID) WITH ZINC, ALUMINUM, MAGNESIUM, ETC. YOU
- CAN COLLECT HYDROGEN IN SOMETHING IF YOU NOTE THAT IT IS LIGHTER THAN AIR.... L
- IGHT A SMALL AMOUNT AND IT BURNS WITH A SMALL *POP*.
- ANOTHER WAY OF CREATING HYDROGEN IS BY THE ELECTROLYSIS OF WATER. THIS INVOLVE
- S SEPERATING WATER (H2O) INTO HYDROGENAND OXYGEN BY AN ELECTRIC CURRENT. TO DO
- THIS, YOU NEED A 6-12 VOLT BATTERY, TwO TEST TUBES, A LARGE BOWL, TWO CARBON E
- LECTRODES (TAKE THEM OUT OF AN UNWORKING 6-12 VOLT BATTERY), AND TABLE SALT. DI
- SSOLVE THE SALT IN A LARGE BOWL FULL OF WATER. SUBMERGE THE TWO TEST TUBES IN T
- HE WATER AND PUT THE ELECTRODES INSIDETHEM, WITH THE MOUTH OF THE TUBE AIMING
- DOWN. CONNECT THE BATTERY TO SOME WIREGOING DOWN TO THE ELECTRODES. THIS WILL
- WORK FOR A WHILE, BUT CHLORINE WILL BEGENERATED ALONG WITH THE OXYGEN WHICH WI
- LL UNDOUBTEDLY CORRODE YOUR COPPER WIReS LEADING TO THE CARBON ELECTRODES... (T
- HE TABLE SALT IS BROKEN UP INTO CHLORINE AND SODIUM IONS, THE CHLORINE COMES OF
- F AS A GAS WITH OXYGEN WHILE SODIUM REACTS WITH THE WATER TO FORM SODIUM HYDROX
- IDE....). THEREFORE, IF YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON SOME SULFURIC ACID, USE IT IN
- STEAD. IT WILL NOT AFFECT THE REACTIONOTHER THAN MAKING THE WATER CONDUCT ELEC
- TRICITY.
-
-
- EXP #6: HYRDOGEN + CHLORINE
-
- TAKE THE TEST TUBE OF HYDROGEN AND COVER THE MOUTH WITH YOUR THUMB. KEEP IT IN
- VERTED, AND BRING IT NEAR THE BOTTLE OF CHLORINE (NOT ONE THAT HAS REACTED WITH
- TURPENTINE). SAY "GOODBYE TEST TUBE",AND DROP IT INTO THE BOTTLE. THE HYDROGE
- N AND CHLORINE SHOULD REACT AND POSSIBLY EXPLODE (DEPENDING ON PURITY AND AMOUN
- T OF EACH GAS). AN INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS IS THEY WILL NOT REACT IF IT IS
- DARK AND NO HEAT OR OTHER ENERGY IS AROUND. WHEN A LIGHT IS TURNED ON, ENOUGH
- ENERGY IS PRESENT TO CAUSE THEM TO REACT...
-
- EXP #7: PREPARATION OF OXYGEN
-
- GET SOME HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (FROM A DRUG STORE) AND MANGANESE DIOXIDE (FROM A B
- ATTERY- IT'S A BLACK POWDER). MIX THE TWO IN A BOTTLE, AND THEY GIVE OFF OXYGEN
- . IF THE BOTTLE IS STOPPERED, PRESSUREWILL BUILD UP AND SHOOT IT OFF. TRY LIGH
- TING A WOOD SPLINT AND STICKING IT (WHN ONLY GLOWING) INTO THE BOTTLE. THE OXY
- GEN WILL MAKE IT BURST INTO FLAME. EXPERIMENT WITH IT. THE OXYGEN WILL ALLOW TH
- INGS TO BURN BETTER...
-
- EXP #8: ALCOHOL
-
- BUY SOME RUBBING ALCOHOL IN A DRUG STORE. USUALLY THIS IS EITHER 70% OR 99% AL
- COHOL AND BURNS JUST GREAT. YOU CAN SOAK A TOWEL IN WATER AND THEN IN ACOHOL, L
- IGHT THE TOWEL, AND WHEN IT FINISHES BURNING THE ALCOHOL, THE FLAME SHOULD GO O
- UT AND LEAVE THE TOWEL UNHARMED. NICE FOR "PARTY TRICKS", ETC.
-
- EXP #9: IODINE?
-
- TINCTURE OF IODINE CONTAINS MAINLY ALCOHOL AND A LITTLE IODINE. TO SEPERATE TH
- EM, PUT THE TINCTURE OF IODINE IN A METAL LID TO A BOTTLE AND HEAT IT OVER A CA
- NDLE. HAVE A STAND HOLDING ANOTHER METAL LID DIRECTLY OVER THE TINCTURE (ABOUT
- 4-6 INCHES ABOVE IT) WITH ICE ON TOP OF IT. THE ALCOHOL SHOULD EVAPORATE, AND T
- HE IODINE SHOULD SUBLIME, BUT SHOULD REFORM IODINE CRYSTALS ON THE COLD METAL L
- ID DIRECTLY ABOVE. IF THIS WORKS (I HAVEN'T TRIED), YOU CAN USE THE IODINE ALON
- G WITH HOUSEHOLD AMMONIA TO FORM NITROGEN TRIIODIDE (DISCUSSED IN ARTICLE #1).
-
- EXP #10: GRAIN-ELEVATOR EXPLOSION!
-
- WANT TO TRY YOUR OWN 'GRAIN-ELEVATOR EXPLOSION'? GET A CANDLE AND SOME FLOUR..
- . LIGHT THE CANDLE AND PUT SOME FLOUR IN YOUR HAND. TRY VARIOUS WAYS OF GETTING
- THE FLOUR TO LEAVE YOUR HAND AND BECOME DUST RIGHT OVER THE CANDLE FLAME. THE
- ENORMOUS SURFACE AREA ALLOWS ALL THE TINY DUST PARTICLES TO BURN, WHICH THEY DO
- AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, COMBINING TO FORM A FIREBALL EFFECT. IN GRAIN ELEVATOR
- S, MUCH THE SAME THING HAPPENS. IF YOUCAN GET YOUR HANDS ON SOME LYCOPODIUM PO
- WDER, DO. THIS WILL WORK MUCH BETTER, CREATING HUGE FIREBALLS THAT ARE UNEXPECT
- ED.
-
-
- THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW... MORE TO COME IN LATER CHEMIST'S CORNER ARTICLES...
-
- ...ZAPHOD BEEBLEBROX/MPG!