Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Bubbling test tube!!!

murf21 - 1-4-2005 at 21:34

Thanks to all those who responded with the experiments for the alcohol burner.

WE have another request!!!

What experiments can we do using the chemicals in the kit that will produce a bubbling mixture in a test tube?
For those of you new to us, we are attempting to find experiments for an 8 yr old girl so let's not come up with anything too dangerous..
Thanks for your help...:)

The_Davster - 1-4-2005 at 21:40

You have vinigar as well right? Add it to some Na2CO3 in the testtube and the desired result will occur. You can also use baking soda(NaHCO3) and vinigar for this so you do not use up the chems in the set as fast.

Esplosivo - 1-4-2005 at 22:23

As an experiment you could also 'test' the acidity of different plant juices, especially citrus plants such as oranges and lemons, by mixing some of the juice with a saturated (or near to saturated) solution of saodium carbonate (if you don't have this it may be found as a sort of cleaning powder known as 'Soda', at least where I live). The more the bubbling the 'higher' the acid content. It quite fun stuff really, at least when I was an 8 year old and didn't know what to do with my 'lab' :P. Have fun.

vulture - 2-4-2005 at 13:10

Adding a few drops of red cabbage extract as a pH indicator will make it even more interesting.

Darkblade48 - 2-4-2005 at 15:06

Or, if I remember correctly, you had phenolphthalein, so you could use that as well, but it'd only change colours once :P

A few goodies

Polverone - 2-4-2005 at 15:11

Hydrogen peroxide is the source of all sorts of bubbling fun. Many metals and metal compound will cause it to break down into water and oxygen, especially when it has been made alkaline with a bit of sodium carbonate or household ammonia. If you mix some clear household ammonia solution with H2O2, it will bubble and turn blue when you add a copper penny or clean copper wire.

If you can get some calcium hypochlorite "pool shock," it will rapidly react with H2O2 to produce oxygen. If you do it in the dark after your eyes have adjusted, you will see a red glow from the production of singlet oxygen. This works better with more concentrated hydrogen peroxide, but even 3% antiseptic will work if you have calcium hypochlorite grains and your eyes are well-adjusted to the darkness.

Hot, strong sodium carbonate ("washing soda";) solution will attack aluminum foil to produce hydrogen gas. If you do it in a beaker or other slightly larger container, you can add a little bit of liquid soap to promote bubble formation. The formed bubbles can be harmlessly ignited with a match.

[Edited on 4-2-2005 by Polverone]

sparkgap - 3-4-2005 at 00:30

If you can obtain oxalic acid, its reaction with baking soda is quite, well, "bubbly". If you are holding the container while doing this, you will quickly notice the temperature drop.

Peroxide and Windex (the ammonia kind, not the vinegar one) should also work, just like Polverone said.

sparky (^_^)

Darkblade48 - 3-4-2005 at 17:21

Quote:
Originally posted by Polverone
If you mix some clear household ammonia solution with H2O2, it will bubble and turn blue when you add a copper penny or clean copper wire.

[Edited on 4-2-2005 by Polverone]


Just tried this, very cool, I have a nicely tinted blue solution now. Any idea what the chemical reaction was?

I was thinking that the H2O2's decomposition would just be catalyzed by the Copper, but I don't see how the ammonia works into this.

12AX7 - 3-4-2005 at 23:38

Ammonia forms complex ions with copper, but I forget how the copper itself dissolves. I seem to recall leaving copper wire in ammonia solution forms copper nitrate? It must be catalytically oxidizing it.

Tim

mick - 8-4-2005 at 11:03

Looking at what you have got
You could make some lime water with the Ca(OH)2.
Na2CO3 + NaHSO4 + water =CO2 and pour some CO2 (or bubble) into a test tube with a bit of lime water and shake to give CaCO3.

Na2CO3 + CuSO4 = CuCO3, filter and dry.
CuCO3 + heat = CO2, cloudy lime water.

Blow into the lime water or use a balloon = cloudy lime water.

The phenolphthalein can be used as invisible ink. The NaHSO4 should develop it. Lemon juice works with a bit of heat.

If you get some old type batteries, the zinc + NaHSO4 will give you hydrogen. The water insolubles will give you MnO2 to use with H2O2. The water solubles used to be mainly NH4CL I think so could be compared to your NH4CL. The carbon electrodes could be useful for future electrochemical experiments.

An old kids experiments book used tartaric acid for a lot of the experiments rather than NaHSO4.
Enjoy

Just thought, if you fill a large beaker with CO2 and blow soap bubbles into it with a straw the bubbles will float on the CO2.

:):);)

mick

forgot to sign

[Edited on 8-4-2005 by mick]

[Edited on 8-4-2005 by mick]