Spectacular Chemical Experiments

Herbert W. Roesky

• Publisher: Wiley-VCH
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN:
  9783527318650
• eBook ISBN:
  9783527815241
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Inorganic Chemistry

Written by the author of the award-winning "Chemische Kabinettstücke" this book demonstrates over 80 enjoyable, impressive and sometimes almost unbelievable chemical experiments for the classroom, lecture hall or home. All the experiments are explained in full, and have been tested several times such that their successful reproduction is guaranteed.
Grouped into several cycles -- water, the color blue, the color red, soles, and self-organization -- the topics are perfect for experimental lectures or school projects. Detailed illustrations and the lively writing style make this book equally attractive to readers interested in chemistry, even if they are unable to perform the experiments.

Part I
Water

I don’t know who discovered water, but it probably wasn’t a fish.

Herbert Marshall McLuhan

From heaven it comes,

To heaven it goes,

And down again

To the earth

Endlessly changing.

Ferdinand Fischer

Water is one of Aristotle’s four elements. Thales described it as the only true element from which all the other materials originate. Today, we know that without water, life and evolution are impossible.

This is true even at the beginning of the 21st century. Europe and the United States are competing to discover if there is human habitation on Mars (Beagle 2 and Spirit). In the solar system, Mars is much more like Earth, and scientists consider that, some 3.5 billion years ago, today’s icy planet was warm and humid. Although there is always water on Mars, it exists as a more or less thick layer of ice.

Water is vital both inside and outside the human body.

The water percentage in the human body:

Age	Water content (%)
Day of birth	79
5 years	2
16 years	58
Adult
Normal weight	62
Very slim	69
Very fat	42

The water percentage inside the different organs:

Organ	Water content (%)
Eyeball	99
Brain	84
Heart	74
Liver	72
Bones	55
Hair	4
Teeth	0.2

Inside the human body, water transports dissolved materials to the different organs and the cells, and it also serves to maintain the functions of the cells. Water is also necessary for the digestion of food and the transportation of its components.

Water is not always drinking water; the oceans, for example, contain 4% of salt which is mostly sodium chloride. Shipwrecked persons who drink water with such a high salt content can survive for only a short period of time.

Water is a very good solvent. In fact, drinking water contains almost every soluble material with which it comes into contact. However, only 0.27% of all of the water on Earth can be used as drinking water.

Experiment 1
Spontaneous Ignition by Adding Water

Whoever is ignorant

of the elements,

of the strength they wield

and of their quality

Cannot master

The band of the spirits.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Apparatus

A fire-proof support, one 250-mL beaker, one wash-bottle, safety glasses, protective gloves.

Chemicals

Wood shavings, Na₂O₂, water (or champagne, beer, etc.).

Attention!

Na₂O₂ reacts almost like sodium spontaneously with water. Na₂O₂ and hydrogen peroxide can cause burns, and skin contact must be avoided. Do not scale up the amount of Na₂O₂. Safety glasses and protective gloves must be used at all times.

Experimental Procedure

The wood shavings are loosely filled into the beaker and the latter is placed on the fire-resistant support. Before starting the experiment, 0.4 g of Na₂O₂ is placed on the wood shavings and immediately a few drops of water are added. The water reacts spontaneously with the Na₂O₂, and the wood shavings start to burn. In most of cases, the beaker cracks.

Explanation

Na₂O₂ is a strong oxidizer and reacts very often explosively with unsaturated organic compounds under incandescence. In the presence of small amounts of water, Na₂O₂ reacts under the elimination of oxygen:

The NaOH reacts catalytically under decomposition of the intermediately formed H₂O₂. However, at low temperatures Na₂O₂ reacts with water under formation of NaOH and H₂O₂:

Experiment 1: A beaker with burning wood shavings and sodium peroxide.

Experiment 2
Blowing-Up an Iron Ball

We ourselves are the measure of the miraculous, when we would look for a general measure, then the miraculous would disappear, and everything would have the same size.

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

Apparatus

An iron ball equipped with a screw lock (Phywe Göttingen), one PVC trough (30cm in diameter and 15cm inside height), safety glasses, protective gloves.

Chemicals

Wet ice, salt for the cooling bath, ice water.

Attention!

Safety glasses and protective gloves must be used at all times.

Experimental Procedure

The iron ball is filled with ice water and the screw lock is tightly closed. The iron ball is then placed in the already prepared freezing mixture (ice and sodium chloride). After about 20–30 minutes, the iron ball ruptures u...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Series Page
• Title
• The Author
• Copyright
• Foreword
• Preface
• Part I: Water
• Part II: The Color Blue
• Part III: The Color Red
• Part IV: Colloids, Sols, and Gels
• Part V: Fascinating Experiments by Self-Organization
• Part VI: Chemical Varieties
• Part VII: The Art Gallery of Chemistry
• Conclusion
• Index
• End User License Agreement