THE CHEMIST'S CORNER
ARTICLE #2: HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS
BY ZAPHOD BEEBLEBROX/MPG
 
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
CONCENTRATION OF CERTAIN CHEMICALS IN DIFFERENT AREAS AND BRANDS.  I WOULD
SUGGEST THAT THE PERSON DOING THESE EXPERIMENTS HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF
CHEMISTRY, ESPECIALLY FOR THE MORE DANGEROUS EXPERIMENTS.
 
I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY PEOPLE USING THIS
INFORMATION.  IT IS PROVIDED FOR USE BY PEOPLE KNOWLEDGABLE IN CHEMISTRY WHO RE
INTERESTED 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)
 
 
 
EXP #1: YE OLD FIZZ EXPERIMENT
 
MIX VINEGAR WITH BAKING SODA.  IT PRODUCES SODIUM ACETATE AND CARBONIC ACID.
CARBONIC ACID QUICKLY DECOMPOSES INTO CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER, RESULTING IN
THE "FIZZ".  THIS SIMPLE REACTION CAN BE CONTAINED IN A SMALL BOTTLE OR
SOMETHING, AND WHEN ENOUGH PRESSURE BUILDS UP IT WILL BREAK OPEN.  I SINCERELY
DOUBT THAT IT WILL BLOW "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 SHOULD
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
PUT AJAX IN THE BOTTOM.  THEN POUR SOME AMMONIA DOWN INTO THE BOTTLE.  SINCE
THE CHLORINE IS HEAVIER THAN AIR, IT WILL STAY DOWN IN THERE UNLESS YOU USE
LARGE AMOUNTS 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 IT IN TURPENTINE.  QUICKLY DROP IT INTO THE
BOTTLE OF CHLORINE.  IT SHOULD GIVE OFF A LOT OF BLACK SMOKE AND PROBABLY START
BURNING...
 
 
EXP #5: GENERATING HYDROGEN GAS
 
TO GENERATE HYDROGEN, ALL YOU NEED IS AN 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....
LIGHT A SMALL AMOUNT AND IT BURNS WITH A SMALL *POP*.
 
ANOTHER WAY OF CREATING HYDROGEN IS BY THE ELECTROLYSIS OF WATER.  THIS
INVOLVES SEPERATING WATER (H2O) INTO HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN BY AN ELECTRIC
CURRENT.  TO DO THIS, YOU NEED A 6-12 VOLT BATTERY, TWO TEST TUBES, A LARGE
BOWL, TWO CARBON ELECTRODES (TAKE THEM OUT OF AN UNWORKING 6-12 VOLT BATTERY),
AND TABLE SALT.  DISSOLVE THE SALT IN A LARGE BOWL FULL OF WATER.  SUBMERGE THE
TWO TEST TUBES IN THE WATER AND PUT THE ELECTRODES IN SIDE THEM, WITH THE MOUTH
OF THE TUBE AIMING DOWN.  CONNECT THE BATTERY TO SOME WIRE GOING DOWN TO THE
ELECTRODES.  THIS WILL WORK FOR A WHILE, BUT CHLORINE WILL BE GENERATED ALONG
WITH THE OXYGEN WHICH WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CORRODE YOUR COPPER WIRES LEADING TO THE
CARBON ELECTRODES...  (THE TABLE SALT IS BROKEN UP INTO CHLORINE AND SODIUM
IONS, THE CHLORINE COMES OFF AS A GAS WITH OXYGEN WHILE SODIUM REACTS WITH THE
WATER TO FORM SODIUM HYDROXIDE....).  THEREFORE, IF YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON
SOME SULFURIC ACID, USE IT INSTEAD.  IT WILL NOT AFFECT THE REACTION OTHER THAN
MAKING THE WATER CONDUCT ELECTRICITY.
 
 
EXP #6: HYRDOGEN + CHLORINE
 
TAKE THE TEST TUBE OF HYDROGEN AND COVER THE MMUTH WITH YOUR THUMB.  KEEP IT
INVERTED, 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
HYDROGEN AND CHLORINE SHOULD REACT AND POSSIBLY EXPLODE (DEPENDING ON PURITY
AND A MOUNT 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
BATTERY- IT'S A BLACK POWDER).  MIX THE TWO IN A BOTTLE, AND THEY GIVE OFF
OXYGEN.  IF THE BOTTLE IS STOPPERED, PRESSURE WILL BUILD UP AND SHOOT IT OFF.
TRY LIGHTING A WOOD SPLINT AND STICKING IT (WHEN ONLY GLOWING) INTO THE BOTTLE.
THE OXYGEN WILL MAKE IT BURST INTO FLAME.  EXPERIMENT WITH IT.  THE OXYGEN WILL
ALLOW THINGS TO BURN BETTER...
 
EXP #8: ALCOHOL
 
BUY SOME RUBBING ALCOHOL IN A DRUG STORE.  USUALLY THIS IS EITHER 70% OR 99%
ALCOHOL AND BURNS JUST GREAT.  YOU CAN SOAK A TOWEL IN WATER AND THEN IN
ACOHOL, LIGHT THE TOWEL, AND WHEN IT FINISHES BURNING THE ALCOHOL, THE FLAME
SHOULD GO OUT 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
THEM, PUT THE TINCTURE OF IODINE IN A METAL LID TO A BOTTLE AND HEAT IT OVER A
CANDLE.  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 THE IODINE SHOULD SUBLIME, BUT SHOULD REFORM IODINE CRYSTALS ON
THE COLD METAL LID DIRECTLY ABOVE.  IF THIS WORKS (I HAVEN'T TRIED), YOU CAN
USE THE IODINE ALONG 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 ELEVATORS, MUCH THE SAME THING HAPPENS.  IF YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON
SOME LYCOPODIUM POWDER, DO.  THIS WILL WORK MUCH BETTER, CREATING HUGE
FIREBALLS THAT ARE UNEXPECTED.
 
 
THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW... MORE TO COME
IN LATER CHEMIST'S CORNER ARTICLES...
 
           ...ZAPHOD BEEBLEBROX/MPG!
 
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