textfiles/anarchy/INCENDIARIES/chem2.txt

THE CHEMIST'S CORNER
ARTICLE #2: HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS
BY ZAPHOD BEEBLEBROX/MPG


 THIS ARTICLE DEALS WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO SOME INTERESTING
EXPERIMENTS WITH COMMON HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS. SOME MAY OR MAY NOT WORK
DEPENDING ON THE CONCENTRATION OF CERTAIN CHEMICALS IN DIFFERENT AREAS
AND BRANDS. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE PERSON DOING THESE EXPERIMENTS HAVE
SOME KNOWLEDGE OF CHEMISTRY, ESPECIALLY FOR THE MORE DANGEROUS
EXPERIMENTS.
 I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY PEOPLE USING THIS
INFORMATION. IT IS PROVIDED FOR USE BY PEOPLE KNOWLEDGABLE IN CHEMISTRY WHO
ARE INTERESTED IN SUCH EXPERIMENTS AND CAN SAFELY HANDLE SUCH EXPERIMENTS.


I. A LIST OF HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS AND THEIR COMPOSITION VINEGAR:
     3-5% ACETIC ACID
BAKING SODA: SODIUM BICARBONATE
DRAIN CLEANERS: SODIUM HYDROXIDE
SANI-FLUSH: 75% SODIUM BISULFATE
AMMONIA WATER: AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE
CITRUS FRUIT: CITRIC ACID
TABLE SALT: SODIUM CHLORIDE
SUGAR: SUCROSE
MILK OF MAGNESIA- MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE
TINCTURE OF IODINE- 47% ALCOHOL, 4%
                                IODINE
RUBBING ALCOHOL- 70 OR 99% (DEPENDS ON BRAND) ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL(DO NOT DRINK!)
ETC...

EXP #1: YE OLD FIZZ EXPERIMENT
 MIX VINEGAR WITH BAKING SODA. IT PRODUCES SODIUM ACETATE AND CARBONIC
ACID. CARBONIC ACID QUICKLY DECOMPOSES INTO CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER,
RESULTING IN THE "FIZZ". THIS SIMPLE REACTION CAN BE CONTAINED IN A SMALL
BOTTLE OR SOMETHING, AND WHEN ENOUGH PRESSURE BUILDS UP IT WILL BREAK OPEN.
I SINCERELY DOUBT THAT IT WILL BLOW "ALL FOUR WALLS OFF THE HOUSE" AS SOME
LOSER WROTE IN HIS SAFEHOUSE ARTICLE.  THE SAME BASIC THING CAN BE DONE WITH
DRY ICE & WATER, BAKING POWDER & WATER, CITRIC ACID & BAKING SODA, AND
*MANY OTHER COMBINATIONS.

EXP #2: A FRUITY BATTERY
 IF YOU'RE EVER IN NEED OF A LITTLE POWER, GET YOUR HANDS ON THESE:
 A CITRUS FRUIT (LEMON, ORANGE, ETC)
 A SMALL ZINC STRIP
 A SMALL COPPER STRIP
  JUST STICK THE ZINC STRIP IN ONE END OF A LEMON AND A COPPER STRIP IN THE
OTHER. YOU NOW HAVE A 1.5 VOLT BATTERY! JUST ATTACH THE WIRES TO THE COPPER &
ZINC STRIPS...

EXP #3: GENERATING CHLORINE GAS
THIS IS SLIGHTLY MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE OTHER TWO EXPERIMENTS, SO YOU
SHOUILD KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING BEFORE YOU TRY THIS...
EVER WONDER WHY AMMONIA BOTTLES ALWAYS SAY 'DO NOT MIX WITH CHLORINE BLEACH',
AND VISA-VERSA? THAT'S BECAUSE IF YOU MIX AMMONIA WATER WITH AJAX OR
SOMETHING LIKE IT, IT WILL GIVE OFF CHLORINE GAS. TO CAPTURE IT, GET A
LARGE BOTTLE AND PUT AJAX IN THE BOTTOM. THEN POUR SOME AMMONIA DOWN
INTO THE BOTTLE. SINCE THE CHLORINE IS HEAVIER THAN AIR, IT WILL STAY DOWN IN
THERE UNLESS YOU USE LARGE AMOUNTS OF EITHER AJAX OR AMMONIA (DON'T!). FOR
SOMETHING FUN TO DO WITH CHLORINE STAY TUNED....

EXP #4: CHLORINE + TURPENTINE
TAKE A SMALL CLOTH OR RAG AND SOAK IT IN TURPENTINE. QUICKLY DROP IT INTO THE
BOTTLE OF CHLORINE. IT SHOULD GIVE OFF A LOT OF BLACK SMOKE AND PROBABLY START
BURNING...

EXP #5: GENERATING HYDROGEN GAS
TO GENERATE HYDROGEN, ALL YOU NEED IS AN ACID AND A METAL THAT WILL REACT
WITH THAT ACID. TRY VINEGAR (ACETIC ACID) WITH ZINC, ALUMINUM, MAGNESIUM,
ETC. YOU CAN COLLECT HYDROGEN IN SOMETHING IF YOU NOTE THAT IT IS
LIGHTER THAN AIR.... LIGHT A SMALL AMOUNT AND IT BURNS WITH A SMALL
*POP*. ANOTHER WAY OF CREATING HYDROGEN IS BY THE ELECTROLYSIS OF
WATER. THIS INVOLVES SEPERATING WATER (H2O) INTO HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN BY AN
ELECTRIC CURRENT. TO DO THIS, YOU NEED A 6-12 VOLT BATTERY, TWO TEST TUBES, A
LARGE BOWL, TWO CARBON ELECTRODES (TAKE THEM OUT OF AN UNWORKING 6-12
VOLT BATTERY), AND TABLE SALT. DISSOLVE THE SALT IN A LARGE BOWL FULL
OF WATER. SUBMERGE THE TWO TEST TUBES IN THE WATER AND PUT THE ELECTRODES
INSIDE THEM, WITH THE MOUTH OF THE TUBE AIMING DOWN. CONNECT THE BATTERY
TO SOME WIRE GOING DOWN TO THE ELECTRODES. THIS WILL WORK FOR A WHILE,
BUT CHLORINE WILL BE GENERATED ALONG WITH THE OXYGEN WHICH WILL UNDOUBTEDLY
CORRODE YOUR COPPER WIRES LEADING TO THE CARBON ELECTRODES... (THE TABLE
SALT IS BROKEN UP INTO CHLORINE AND SODIUM IONS, THE CHLORINE COMES OF
AS A GAS WITH OXYGEN WHILE SODIUM REACTS WITH THE WATER TO FORM SODIUM
HYDROXIDE....). THEREFORE, IF YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON SOME SULFURIC ACID,
USE IT INSTEAD. IT WILL NOT AFFECT THE REACTION OTHER THAN MAKING THE WATER
CONDUCT ELECTRICITY.

EXP #6: HYRDOGEN + CHLORINE
TAKE THE TEST TUBE OF HYDROGEN AND COVER THE MOUTH WITH YOUR THUMB. KEEP
IT INVERTED, AND BRING IT NEAR THE BOTTLE OF CHLORINE (NOT ONE THAT HAS
REACTED WITH TURPENTINE). SAY "GOODBYE TEST TUBE", AND DROP IT INTO THE
BOTTLE. THE HYDROGEN AND CHLORINE SHOULD REACT AND POSSIBLY EXPLODE
(DEPENDING ON PURITY AND AMOUNT OF EACH GAS). AN INTERESTING THING ABOUT
THIS IS THEY WILL NOT REACT IF IT IS DARK AND NO HEAT OR OTHER ENERGY IS
AROUND. WHEN A LIGHT IS TURNED ON, ENOUGH ENERGY IS PRESENT TO CAUSE THEM
TO REACT...

EXP #7: PREPARATION OF OXYGEN
GET SOME HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (FROM A DRUG STORE) AND MANGANESE DIOXIDE
(FROM A BATTERY- IT'S A BLACK POWDER). MIX THE TWO IN A BOTTLE, AND THEY GIVE
OFF OXYGEN. IF THE BOTTLE IS STOPPERED, PRESSURE WILL BUILD UP AND SHOOT IT
OFF. TRY LIGHTING A WOOD SPLINT AND STICKING IT (WHEN ONLY GLOWING) INTO
THE BOTTLE. THE OXYGEN WILL MAKE IT BURST INTO FLAME. EXPERIMENT WITH IT.
THE OXYGEN WILL ALLOW THINGS TO BURN BETTER...

EXP #8: ALCOHOL
BUY SOME RUBBING ALCOHOL IN A DRUG STORE. USUALLY THIS IS EITHER 70% OR
99% ALCOHOL AND BURNS JUST GREAT. YOU CAN SOAK A TOWEL IN WATER AND THEN IN
ALCOHOL, LIGHT THE TOWEL, AND WHEN IT FINISHES BURNING THE ALCOHOL, THE
FLAME SHOULD GO OUT AND LEAVE THE TOWEL UNHARMED. NICE FOR "PARTY
TRICKS", ETC.

EXP #9: IODINE?
TINCTURE OF IODINE CONTAINS MAINLY ALCOHOL AND A LITTLE IODINE. TO
SEPERATE THEM, PUT THE TINCTURE OF IODINE IN A METAL LID TO A BOTTLE AND
HEAT IT OVER A CANDLE. HAVE A STAND HOLDING ANOTHER METAL LID DIRECTLY OVER
THE TINCTURE (ABOUT 4-6 INCHES ABOVE IT) WITH ICE ON TOP OF IT. THE ALCOHOL
SHOULD EVAPORATE, AND THE IODINE SHOULD SUBLIME, BUT SHOULD REFORM IODINE
CRYSTALS ON THE COLD METAL LID DIRECTLY ABOVE. IF THIS WORKS (I HAVEN'T TRIED),
YOU CAN USE THE IODINE ALONG WITH HOUSEHOLD AMMONIA TO FORM NITROGEN
TRIIODIDE (DISCUSSED IN ARTICLE #1).

EXP #10: GRAIN-ELEVATOR EXPLOSION!
WANT TO TRY YOUR OWN 'GRAIN-ELEVATOR EXPLOSION'? GET A CANDLE AND SOME
FLOUR... LIGHT THE CANDLE AND PUT SOME FLOUR IN YOUR HAND. TRY VARIOUS WAYS OF
GETTING THE FLOUR TO LEAVE YOUR HAND AND BECOME DUST RIGHT OVER THE CANDLE
FLAME. THE ENORMOUS SURFACE AREA ALLOWS ALL THE TINY DUST PARTICLES TO BURN,
WHICH THEY DO AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, COMBINING TO FORM A FIREBALL EFFECT. IN
GRAIN ELEVATORS, MUCH THE SAME THING HAPPENS. IF YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON
SOME LYCOPODIUM POWDER, DO. THIS WILL WORK MUCH BETTER, CREATING HUGE
FIREBALLS THAT ARE UNEXPECTED.


 THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW... MORE TO COME IN LATER CHEMIST'S CORNER ARTICLES...

               ...from the library of the Gray Mouser...
               Call the Thieves' Guild at (203) 274-1395

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