The situation, however, is harsh for the beginning young enthusiasts, who want to do interesting experiments. In 1985 I went to a local shop to buy
KNO3, S, and C for making coarse black powder, I even purchased KClO3 for some more spectacular demos. All of these I could buy for a little pocket
money at a drugstore in small quantities (e.g. 100 grams of KClO3 or 250 grams of KNO3). Also the most common acids I could buy without any problem
(250 ml 96% H2SO4, 1 liter of 30% HCl, 1 liter of 60% HNO3). The young starter boy or girl nowadays cannot obtain anything interesting locally and
this may lead to quitting the hobby before it even really starts. A 14 year old boy does not have a credit card for buying at an online shop in
another part of the world. |