JRistau81
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Lookin for some fun experiments...
Hey all!
Well I am new to this forum, but i love chemistry! I have been teaching myself mostly, haven't had much of a class in it but have read quite a few
books. I am looking for some fun experiments I can do at home with some chemicals i already have or can get easily.
First of all, equipment-wise I currently have...A Bunsen Burner, Erlenmeyer Flasks, Beakers, A Vacuum pump, Buchner funnels, Basically a fume hood
(sealed fireplace that I installed a fan in) Test tubes and some other odds and ends. I am not affiliated with any chem. organizations so it is hard
to get chemicals.
Chemical-wise I am currently pretty limited.
Aside from the basics around the house (baking soda, vinegar, H2O2, bleach, etc.) I have HCl, H2SO4, Fe, Al, Ca(OH)2, KI, MgSO4, SrCl2, NH4OH, C,
Al2O3, NH4Cl, and I think that is about it. Would like to get some use out of a lot of these, but definitely tell me about any good ways to get some
other chemicals. Hope you guys have some good ideas, because as much as i love reacting Al with HCl (sooo awesome) I am looking for some other cool
things to do!
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The_Davster
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There are several threads on this sort of thing, but I am in a good mood, so instead of linking Ill give you a few ideas. Still search for similar
threads using our search engine though.
You can use the peroxide, sulfuric acid, and KI to make some iodine.
If you add some flammable liquid to strontium chloride and light it you will have a bright red flame.
You can make chlorine with bleach and acid, do this outside.
Al+Fe2O3 is thermite.
Ca(OH)2 is used to test for CO2, a solution of it turns murky when CO2 is introduced.
For chemical acquisition from common sources, http://www.hyperdeath.co.uk/chemicals/index.html
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JRistau81
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Would someone please give me more info on the 1st one he said (making iodine)?
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woelen
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Dissolve some potassium iodide in dilute hydrochloric or sulphuric acid and drip in 3% H2O2. First the liquid will become brown. If more H2O2 is
dripped in, solid particles of iodine will separate from the liquid and the liquid itself will become only light brown/yellow.
The solid particles can easily be rinsed with some water.
Another very interesting chemical you can make from this iodine is iodoform. Add some acetone to the water, in which the iodine is suspended, and then
slowly add some solution of NaOH. The CHI3 separates from the liquid as a bright yellow precipitate. This also easily can be rinsed with water and
then isolated.
Keep in mind, that storage of iodine is really difficult. If not stored properly, it will ruin its container, nut also all other things nearby.
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The_Davster
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The iodine can also be made using bleach instead of peroxide. You dissolve KI in bleach, and add acid slowly. It has been a while since I did this,
but I am pretty sure it is stoichiometric ammounts of reagents used.
With peroxide method: Dissolve KI in dilute sulfuric, 1:1 mole ratio, make sure the solution is cool and add peroxide slowly until no more iodine
precipitates. Filter it, press most of the water out and purify by sublimation.
[Edited on 13-7-2006 by rogue chemist]
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JRistau81
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What should I do to store the iodine? Very cool reaction. I think its one of the first times I have been able to get a precipitate at home. Oh also
how dilute of H2SO4 do you recommend? This time i just wanted to try it in a test tube, but for the future when I do it on a larger scale. Any other
good ideas with the chemicals and equipment I have or can get easily? Since we are on the topic of KI, I don;t know where you guys get it but one
great place is http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_additives_seachem_reef_s...
I keep marine fish so i order a lot of this kind of stuff.
Scroll down and the Seachem Reef Iodide in a yellow bottle is KI. Idk if 2L for 23.95 is a good deal but i already had it at my house.
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Maja
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That Iodide solution is very dilute 
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JRistau81
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That doesn't surprise me. But I use it for other things and No complicated distillation is involved in using it. What else would be a good way to get
it
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Maja
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I bet you can't buy any chemicals from chem supplier ? I think most reliable route would be from local chemist as Iodine and Iodide solution.
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JRistau81
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Seeing as i am not even out of high school, not even close actually...I doubt a local chemist would be very inclined to give me anything.Reponsible
people...
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woelen
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I order this stuff from online photography raw chemical suppliers. They do sell to individuals and certainly something innocuous like KI is not a
problem at all. This stuff is relatively expensive though (iodine is a fairly expensive element), $60 per pound, $17 for 100 grams, but you get good
purity photo grade material (free of any non-alkali metals, which is very important in photography, and free of oxidizing impurities like iodate).
If you want a source, just send me a U2U. I do not publish sources over here, k3wls also are reading this.
Btw, these online sellers also have MANY other very interesting chemicals for fair prices, such as K2Cr2O7 ($14 per pound), KBr ($11 per pound), Na2S
($7.50 per pound), and many many more. You, however, need a credit card for payment, or your parents must be willing to order for you if you are still
at HS-age  .
[Edited on 13-7-06 by woelen]
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JRistau81
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So any other good ideas like rogue chemists? Also what other reactions can i do with the iodine. That so far has been my favorite reaction I have done
and the iodine is one of my favorite elements. The gas is beautiful.
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woelen
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If you can make some free iodine, then try to make ICl or ICl3. You can make chlorine gas, and you need to pass that over some iodine. I have done
this experiment, and it is easy to perform. Be careful though with the chlorine gas, it is VERY toxic.
http://woelen.scheikunde.net/science/chem/exps/Cl+I/index.ht...
When the ICl is heated, you get a beautiful pure red gas mix, as a result of the purple of the iodine and the brown of ICl. Not a brown red, as with
bromine, but really neat. You can see it at the site.
[Edited on 13-7-06 by woelen]
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Maja
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React dry Iodine obtained from KI with Al foil. Nice reaction
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hodges
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Put a few drops of the sulfuric acid in a glass of water. Connect 2 wires to a lantern battery (6 volts). When placed in the solution, this will
produce hydrogen gas at the negative wire. Collect this by filling a test tube full of water and letting the gas bubble up into the tube. Put your
finger over the tube when it is full of hydrogen. Light a match or lighter, then remove your finger from the tube and move the opening of the tube to
the flame. You should a "pop" sound as the hydrogen burns.
If you replace the wires with pencil leads (sharpen 2 pencils on both sides, connect the wire to one side and put the other sides in the solution),
you will get in addition oxygen gas at the positive lead. A glowing splint will catch on fire if placed in a tube full of oxygen.
This experiment shows that water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. The sulfuric acid just helps the water conduct electricity a bit better to speed
the reaction
Hodges
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Elawr
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I'm at the beach for a few days (Gulf Coast), and the subject of iodine got me thinking. It's been said that seaweed is full of iodine, and sargasso
has washed up on the beach in abundance. I will therefore bring home a sample of this with intent to render the seaweed for possible iodine. I'll dry
the stuff, reduce it to ash, and then apply one of the above methods and see if I get iodine! Got to remember also to get me some fresh squid
colonized with luminescent Vibrio for that microbial nightlite I've been wanting!
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pantone159
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Iodine was first discovered in seaweed ash.
Bernard Courtois, who was trying to extract potassium to make KNO3 during the Napoleonic wars, boiled seaweed ash with water, and extracted KCl by
selective crystallization. He then added H2SO4 to the residual liquor, and was surprised to see violet fumes rising out of the mixture.
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mericad193724
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Potassium Iodide, is really easy to get. Go to your local pharmacy, health supplement store, whatever.... They should sell a product that is supposed
to protect you from radioactive iodine in case of accidental release. It will contain about 65mg of KI per tablet. CVS sells it...its called IOSAT
Potassium Iodide tablets (OTC). $14 bottle can make 13g of KI!!!
I don't think iodine is a safe start for a begineer, but do as you wish
(BE CAREFUL)
Try this...
Fill one-half of one jar with steel wool.
Add enough vinegar to cover the steel wool.
Allow the jar to stand undisturbed for 1 day.
(A chemical reaction between the vinegar (acetic acid) and steel wool (iron) will produce iron acetate.
Pour off this liquid. Add a bit of 3% peroxide, it will turn blood red and some cool crystals may form.
Then pour some of the iron acetate liquid into the second jar. Pour
one tablespoon of household ammonia and stir... you will get green gel...iron hydroxide. (do not touch, smell, eat)
Mericad
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Elawr
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Iodine from sargassum
I have no idea what if any iodine is contained by this particular seaweed, (presumedly sargasso) found in the coastal waters off the Florida
panhandle. I was for some reason curious to find out for myself, so we shall see...I wonder if bromine also might be found here.
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JRistau81
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I have one more iodine question. I did a very small scale on this experiment and jsut disposed of everything. If I were to do a larger batch in the
future how would I go about isolating the iodine and storing it?
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JRistau81
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Sorry I forgot to mention I do not have a distillation apparatus.
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12AX7
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Well, iodine sublimates, so that wouldn't do you much good anyway. Generally the reaction forms crystals, so you just filter it. Of course you want
to get them sealed quickly since they evaporate quickly.
Tim
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