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Brain&Force
Hazard to Lanthanides
Posts: 1302
Registered: 13-11-2013
Location: UW-Madison
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Little things that surprised you in chemistry
Share some of the simple yet unusual results and observations you've made in the lab. A couple of mine:
The weakness of nickel's magnetism. When I read that nickel is ferromagnetic, I thought it was a whole lot stronger (comparable with Fe and Co).
Terbium is only paramagnetic at room temperature yet it is more strongly attracted than nickel.
The difficulty of dissolving copper sulfate in water. That takes forever!
How truly dark a solution of permanganate is. I tried the chemical chameleon demo but ruined it with too much permanganate. Similarly, the darkness of
iodine vapor also surprised me.
I once turned on a magnetic stirrer with a neodymium magnet in the vicinity and the magnet did the shimmy n' shake, which conveniently entertained a
group of chem students.
At the end of the day, simulating atoms doesn't beat working with the real things...
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blargish
Hazard to Others
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Registered: 25-9-2013
Location: Canada
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I'm not too much of a pyrotechnics guy, but I remember the first time I made TATP (only a few grams or so). I underestimated how loud the detonation
would be, and when I hit just under a gram with a hammer, my eardrums blew out. My head was ringing for the rest of the day. Oops
The darkness of permanganate solution was surprising to me too, as well as the deep blue color of the tetrammine copper (II) ion in solution.
The color of chlorine gas is another thing that surprised me, as its more vivid in real life than what you see in pictures and videos
[Edited on 13-1-2014 by blargish]
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UnintentionalChaos
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How bloody dense mercury is...and bromine for that matter.
Also I recently made a tiny bit of dinitrophenols. I think the solution of the sodium salt is the most intensely yellow thing I have ever seen. A bit
was spilled and half a roll of yellow paper towels later, my benchtop is still stained. It's now in a dessicator over KOH and because it's slightly
volatile the KOH is becoming increasingly yellow over time.
[Edited on 1-13-14 by UnintentionalChaos]
Department of Redundancy Department - Now with paperwork!
'In organic synthesis, we call decomposition products "crap", however this is not a IUPAC approved nomenclature.' -Nicodem
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woelen
Super Administrator
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A few things which really surprised me were
- Darkness of a solution of KMnO4. I even did experiments with that and showed it to other people. Most striking is adding a single crystal of less
than 1 mm diameter to a full PET bottle of water and dissolving this.
- The appearance of colored gases fascinated me at once, the first time I saw them (e.g. Cl2, Br2-vapor, NO2, ONCl). They are so different from smoke
of similar colors or even transparent liquids of similar colors. As if there is nothing and yet you see the colors and transparency.
- All the different colors of the Cr(3+) ion, such as deep purple, grey, green and even blue, when it is made by reducing dichromate in acidic
solution. Now I know about its coordination chemistry, but when I discovered this as a schoolboy by experimenting in my parent's house garage, I was
really stunned by this phenomenon.
More recently I am susprised how even with very common and very well-known reagents there still are quite a few reactions which are never mentioned in
text-books and of which very few people know. To name a few:
- dissolve some sulfite or bisulfite in dilute acid and add a pinch of iodide (not iodine, but iodide, e.g. the potassium salt): a bright yellow
compound is formed
- Dissolve some copper in a solution of copper(II) sulfate or copper(II) chloride in conc. HCl. You get a dark brown, nearly black complex, which must
be some mixed copper(I)/copper(II) chloro complex. If excess copper is used and air is excluded, then you finally get a (nearly) colorless solution.
- Add a solution of sodium nitrite to an acidified solution of a thiocyanate salt: You get an intense dark red/brown solution, which slowly fades.
- Add some peroxodisulfate (common PCB etchant) to a solution of silver nitrate in moderately concentrated HNO3: You get an intense dark brown
solution, some silver-complex is formed with silver in oxidation state larger than +1.
[Edited on 13-1-14 by woelen]
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plante1999
International Hazard
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Few of mine:
- The density of bromine and mercury.
- The corrosion done by HCl on anything metallic (had to put the bottle outside to be sure).
- The staining capability of nitro phenols.
- The efficiency of ppm of chloropicirin as an (unintentional) weapon towards people that do not work contently with chemicals.
- That people where able to understand me on this forum 3 years ago. Yesterday I stumbled upon one of my old post, and it was, well, far from optimal.
I never asked for this.
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Vargouille
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The lacrimatory strength of iodoacetone. For future reference, acetone is a poor substitute for malonic acid in a Briggs-Rauscher reaction.
One time I tried to make copper acetylsalicylate, but apparently my aspirin had gone bad, so I ended up only getting the salicylate.
The time I made a diamminecopper(II) dihydrogen cyanurate salt. It's a quite gentle purple color.
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SM2
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(off topic) plante, your English suits me quite well
I'd just add, I'm amazed by the complexity and richness of organics obtainable only with
my propane tank, various props, and crude environmental controls.
Separation analysis is another story. Gross separation yet another.
"Old men who speak of victory
shed light upon their stolen life
they - drive by night- and act as if they're
moved by unheard music." B. Currie
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TheChemiKid
Hazard to Others
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Once held a little iridium at a demonstration, it was WAY heavier than I expected.
When the police come
\( * O * )/ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'̵͇̿̿з=༼ ▀̿̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀̿ ̿ ༽
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DraconicAcid
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One thing that surprised me was exactly how vigorously dimanganese heptoxide will react with dichloromethane. I had read that this oxide could be
extracted into "carbon tetrachloride or freons"; misremembered it as "carbon tetrachloride or chloroform" and reasoned that dichloromethane should
also work. I was also surprised by how difficult the mess was to clean up.
I tried doing it again under more controlled conditions as a demo, and was surprised by the fact that it actually caught fire. I had always
considered dichloromethane to be completely nonflammable.
Please remember: "Filtrate" is not a verb.
Write up your lab reports the way your instructor wants them, not the way your ex-instructor wants them.
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MrHomeScientist
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Try osmium, it's imperceptibly heavier! 
I have a small pellet of it, and I agree it's crazy how dense it is. I measured out an equal weight of lead and melted this into a pellet, and it's
twice the size! Crazy when lead seems like a light metal in comparison.
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Pyro
International Hazard
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how heavy Hg, Br2 and lead salt solutions are.
how strongly nitrobenzene smells of almonds, I didn't have any spills during the synthesis, but my lab still smelt almondy after a few weeks, and the
flammables cabinet I keep in it smells strongly of almonds (it is kept in a tightly closed Schott bottle)
all above information is intellectual property of Pyro.  |
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quantumchromodynamics
Hazard to Self
Posts: 67
Registered: 25-9-2013
Location: with much determination, nowhere in particluar
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beauty
For me, reactions have unique personality, when I really watch, i.e. watching a small bead of mercury wiggling into smaller and smaller beads, each
bead wiggling spiral trails of bubbles; while nitrating mercury. Changing densities, changing states, changing temperatures, changing molecules,
absolutely fascinating...
Surprising nostril melting stenches...
Crystal formation, and how mathematical they are. It is like Plato was correct, in that pure abstraction and symmetry exist outside our minds.
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Mailinmypocket
International Hazard
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The sound of detonating a speck of silver acetylide is wonderful and scared the hell out of me the first time I did it. Rhodamine B and it's ability
to stain, fluoresce and reveal small specks of itself when counters are wiped down also was impressive.
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Zyklon-A
International Hazard
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Registered: 26-11-2013
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Mood: Fluorine radical
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The smell of chlorine, need I say more..... well I will anyway, the first time I smelled chlorine, it was from electrolysis of NaCl solution ( higher
voltage tends to make more Cl than low), it smelled bad but not that bad, because it was low ppm, I thought I had really smelled Cl, than when I
actually made some (CaOCl +HCl) I was coughing for like 20 minutes.
Also how bright Mg ribbon burns, I had seen it a few times on the internet, but it is so much brighter in real life. Same with Al/Mg flash powders.
[Edited on 14-1-2014 by Zyklonb]
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Bot0nist
International Hazard
Posts: 1559
Registered: 15-2-2011
Location: Right behind you.
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Mood: Streching my cotyledons.
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The first time I made copper sulfate from peroxide and sulfuric acid. The beautiful crystals that grew on the peice of pipe overnight. Then when I
added some Al foil and a pinch of NaCl to a solution of it... Wow. The precipitated copper was awsome. I then mixed the ultra fine copper with some
homemade potassium chlorate(from bleach and KCl) and the resulting flash powder made a beautiful flame. I was hooked imeadiatly.
I once made a few ml of MEKP, and absorbed it into a wooden match stick. The bang that it made when ignited was very suprising indeed (self confined
in the wood i guess). I never thought such a small amount of a compound could make my ears ring for so long.... Ahh, the good ol' days.
U.T.F.S.E. and learn the joys of autodidacticism!
Don't judge each day only by the harvest you reap, but also by the seeds you sow.
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Zyklon-A
International Hazard
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Wow! I didn't know that you could make flash powder with Cu.
Ps. Your location is super creepy, lol.
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Bot0nist
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Location: Right behind you.
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It was slow compared to pyro Al flash, but still fast enough for a whoomp sound. The key is to use the copper before it oxidizes to much. My
location... you can take it as " I have you back" if you'd like.
Yours is rather creepy too...
[Edited on 14-1-2014 by Bot0nist]
U.T.F.S.E. and learn the joys of autodidacticism!
Don't judge each day only by the harvest you reap, but also by the seeds you sow.
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Zyklon-A
International Hazard
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Fair enough.
For sure going to make copper flash powder, sounds fun.
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Bot0nist
International Hazard
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Location: Right behind you.
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Try it out. The best way to get the superfine particals of Cu is from the copper sulfate, Al precipitation. Just add a pinch of salt to the copper
sulfate solution, then a piece of foil, and wash the copper In warm water, then a bit of acetone to remove the chlorides and help it dry fast. Use a
balanced amount of fine, dry chlorate. Please use immediatly and in very small quantities. Chlorate mixes are not know for their stability or safety.
Have fun and be safe.
U.T.F.S.E. and learn the joys of autodidacticism!
Don't judge each day only by the harvest you reap, but also by the seeds you sow.
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Zyklon-A
International Hazard
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Cool, I only have a 1 molar solution of CuSO4, would that work?
Instead of acetone could I use isopropanol alcohol?
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Bot0nist
International Hazard
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Location: Right behind you.
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I suppose. You could also easily concentrate the copper sulfate solution to make the reaction more rapid and complete. I used an excess of copper
sulfate in order for the Al to completely dissolve.
U.T.F.S.E. and learn the joys of autodidacticism!
Don't judge each day only by the harvest you reap, but also by the seeds you sow.
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Random
International Hazard
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Quote: Originally posted by Zyklonb  | Also how bright Mg ribbon burns, I had seen it a few times on the internet, but it is so much brighter in real life. Same with Al/Mg flash powders.
[Edited on 14-1-2014 by Zyklonb] |
Don't watch this without eye protection though if you value your eyes.
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Zyklon-A
International Hazard
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The first time it surprised me, that time I didn't have eye protection, now I at least wear 'sunglasses', and a lot of the time I look away, a little.
[Edited on 18-1-2014 by Zyklonb]
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cyanureeves
National Hazard
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the heat sulfuric acid drain cleaner and water generated in a bottle i was holding and how it was dissolving metal before my eyes stopped me in my
tracks.why?why?why?even after using drain cleaners for years i never gave that reaction a second thought until mine eyes were opened like Balaam and
the donkey.
[Edited on 1-18-2014 by cyanureeves]
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Brain&Force
Hazard to Lanthanides
Posts: 1302
Registered: 13-11-2013
Location: UW-Madison
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The colors of complexed transition metal salts. I like the colors of copper(II) and cobalt(II) in HCl a lot.
Smoke of ammonium chloride from HCl and ammonia. This is really cool.
How different silicon is from the metals. It would be nice for jewelry because of its luster. Yet it feels so light and fragile.
The brittleness of manganese. It breaks so easily, which is useful if you need high surface area for a reaction.
The tendency for transition metals to give similar bluish-green flames in flame tests, not the diverse colors of the alkali metals.
I'd like to get some neodymium or holmium for the absorption bands demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEK90hf49Jk
At the end of the day, simulating atoms doesn't beat working with the real things...
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