entwined
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newbie experiments
i have searched but have not found any maches on this site for websites with experiments or newbie experiments.
Does anybody know of simple experiments that are interesting? I am hoping to get an organic chemistry set (condenser, flasks, test tubes, hot pad)
but would first want some experiments i could do with these, as there would be no reason to get the set if i had nothing to do 
If it helps i am interested in being a pharmocologist/biochemist. experiments in these fields would be appreciated.
i remember seeing a synthesis for Acetaminophen on on a college site once but dont remember where i found it.
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BromicAcid
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What do you mean by interesting? You looking for color changes or just novel reactions? Personally I always thought dissolving metals in acids was
about as neat as chemistry could get but that usually doesn't fall into the organic relm, let alone requiring advanced glassware.
Maybe go for some of the esters of boric acid you could always use those to make sodium borohydride which might come in handy. Also it might be handy
to know how concerned you are with safety, although gloves and goggles are a good start there also might be the need for a respirator or apron or full
body suit for some reactions. Although I'm sure no one is going to suggest such a thing to a person just getting into organic chemistry. But it
might come in handy to know if you have some weird paranoia of strong acids or bases or things that might go bump in the flask.
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Quantum
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I had this same question a while back lol. Search the forum for Experiment Ideas. I have made what I think is MgCO<sub>3</sub>!
Na<sub>2</sub>HCO<sub>3</sub> was heated strongly in a pot on the stove untill all the hydrogen gas was driven off leaving
Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>. This was dissolved in water and then a diffrent beaker of MgSO<sub>4</sub> and water
was prepared. The 2 solutions were mixed and a milky white color appeared. After letting it sit for many days I pipited the water/aq chemicals off and
got a white goopy mass. I heated this at 350F for about 30min and opened the oven door some to let water vapor excape. I believe this is
MgCO<sub>3</sub>!
MgSO<sub>4</sub>(aq) + Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>(aq) --> MgCO<sub>3</sub>(s) +
Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>(aq)
Of cource this may be lame sounding to you but I think its kind of cool. Soon I will get some CuSO<sub>4</sub> and make some
CuCO<sub>3</sub> and Cu<sub>2</sub>O and CuO!
[Edited on 17-3-2004 by Quantum]
What if, what is isn\'t true?
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Turel
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Expertise?
What is your level of expertise? I know you said you are a newbie, but have you ever touched a beaker before? Have you ever done an acid/base
extraction? Ever precipitated a salt out of a solution?
These tasks are very simple, and many more involved multi-step experiments rely on these initial practices. If you are completely new to
experimentation, I recommend practicing these simple things, because you will need to have these skills almost immediately.
Basic skills:
*Product Precipitation and *Extraction/Washing
Steam Heating
*Distillation
Vacuum Distillation
*Gravity Filtration
Vacuum-Assisted Filtration
Refluxing
Some of these techniques are not used often, but some are, namely the ones with a * by them, and all are useful skills.
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BromicAcid
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Don't forget fractional distillation and the use of drying agents on products and solvents. Working under anhydrous conditions is also important
for a number of reactions. And what is the name of the procedure of distilling a high boiling point/ decomposes at boiling point liquid with a liquid
in which it is immisible to get both in the receiving flask but leaving the impurities behind, I know I've done that before but not for a while.
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Turel
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Far Too Clever
I believe that one is called the "Way too clever to be distilling your own stuff" process. The person who thought of that should have had
other lesser minded individuals doing his work, while he sat in a tall movie director chair up near the ceiling, drinking iced tea and cracking a
whip.
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vulture
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| Quote: |
Na2HCO3 was heated strongly in a pot on the stove untill all the hydrogen gas was driven off leaving Na2CO3
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If you could perform this reaction you'd get the nobelprize for sure.
2NaHCO3 ---> H2O + CO2 + Na2CO3
One shouldn't accept or resort to the mutilation of science to appease the mentally impaired.
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Organikum
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Quantum wrote: | Quote: |
Of cource this may be lame sounding to you but I think its kind of cool. Soon I will get some CuSO4 and make some CuCO3 and Cu2O and CuO!
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Nope, thats not lame in my eyes. You will have lots of fun with the CuSO4 it is funny to work with - the colors are phenomenal! A tip: Dont get get
confused by the colors as copper salts are blue or green and some of them can be sometimes blue and sometimes green. So dont try to judge
coppersalts by the color or you will be lost.
btw. when making aluminium sulfate - use diluted H2SO4 (about 30%-40%) and it will work fine.
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Tacho
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http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/HOMEEXPTS.html
http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/chemistry/institutes/1986/ - courtesy of Bromic Acid
edit: one more: http://mattson.creighton.edu/AllGases.html
[Edited on 17-3-2004 by Tacho]
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Quantum
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Thanks Vulture! I was wondering why I could not light a small sample in a test tube when I heated it. I just thought H gas would be given off but your
reaction makes sense.
What if, what is isn\'t true?
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entwined
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thanks for some of the ideas.
currently i am a junior in High School and have used bunsen burners, evaporating dishes to boil out salts, grad cylinders (used those since like the
5th grade hehe), beakers, crucible, and other simple things.
Saftey. as of now something very safe is a must as i wont have a good vent. system.
to me, interesting may be either novel or fascinating reactions (possibly Mg, i consider low quantities of this safe).
when my class moves into organic chem. (i've already read ahead in that a little ) we will be making glue. That is an example of a "fun" experement.
It just seems to me you have to start off with fun before you progress into serious matters. I think it will help the transition from
"forced" experiments at school to ones own designed experiments or ones conducted in freetime for beneficial purposes.
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Geomancer
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Bromic: You mean steam distillation, right?
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BromicAcid
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That's what I was thinking but I wasn't sure, I know you can also use other liquids too to carry across the liquid you are trying to
distill.
Also, a good organic reaction that helps to get some skills is the cannizaro reaction using benzaldehyde. You get benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol.
You have to wash it with a basic solution to remove the acid as the salt then re-precipitate it out under acid then you get to try your hand at
filtration and washing of product. Plus you've got the benzyl alcohol in there, you have to extract that as well, but my memory fails me on how
we went about that. Fun reaction though.
[Edited on 3/17/2004 by BromicAcid]
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The_Davster
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Quantum
Of cource this may be lame sounding to you but I think its kind of cool. Soon I will get some CuSO<sub>4</sub> and make some
CuCO<sub>3</sub> and Cu<sub>2</sub>O and CuO!
[Edited on 17-3-2004 by Quantum] |
In case you are interested in another way to make your copper carbonate without using you copper sulfate see this thread http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=1605 for my method for copper(II) carbonate
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