Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Hydrogen

chemdude118 - 30-9-2011 at 15:18

Are their any cool experiments with hydrogen other than burning it?

Thanks
- Chemdude118

bob800 - 30-9-2011 at 16:25

Have you not tried google? "hydrogen experiments": http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=h....

The first few links contain a wealth of information.

[edit] If you do any experiments with hydrogen using an open flame and glass apparatus, you must be absolutely certain that all the oxygen has been displaced, in order to avoid an explosion. This is generally done by collecting some sample H<sub>2</sub> by upward displacement in a small test tube, and igniting the contents FAR AWAY from the generator. If you hear anything more than a soft "pop", the hydrogen is still too impure to safely ignite directly. Keep testing samples until you hear the soft "pop".

[Edited on 1-10-2011 by bob800]

Endimion17 - 1-10-2011 at 05:39

You can use it for reduction of certain metallic oxides. For example, you can get good samples of reasonably pure powdered iron if you start with scrap iron, convert it to sulphate (recrystalization is the key part which will leave the impurities behind), drive off sulphur trioxide by heating and reducing the pure oxide in hot hydrogen.
The only problem is that such iron is pyrophoric for quite some time, but if you let the air diffuse in through a faulty cork, it will stabilize after few days.

The only problem appears when you want to convert green vitriol to the oxide. SO<sub>3</sub> is very nasty, and the salt decomposes above 400 °C.