171 lines
7.3 KiB
Plaintext
171 lines
7.3 KiB
Plaintext
THE CHEMIST'S CORNER ARTICLE #2: HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS
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BY ZAPHOD BEEBLEBROX/MPG
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THIS ARTICLE DEALS WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO SOME INTERESTING
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EXPERIMENTS WITH COMMON HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS. SOME MAY OR MAY NOT WORK
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DEPENDING ON THE CONCENTRATION OF CERTAIN CHEMICALS IN DIFFERENT AREAS
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AND BRANDS. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE PERSON DOING THESE EXPERIMENTS HAVE
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SOME KNOWLEDGE OF CHEMISTRY, ESPECIALLY FOR THE MORE DANGEROUS
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EXPERIMENTS. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY
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PEOPLE USING THIS INFORMATION. IT IS PROVIDED FOR USE BY PEOPLE
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KNOWLEDGABLE IN CHEMISTRY WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SUCH EXPERIMENTS AND CAN
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SAFELY HANDLE SUCH EXPERIMENTS.
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===============================================================================
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I. A LIST OF HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS AND THEIR COMPOSITION
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VINEGAR............. 3-5% ACETIC ACID
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BAKING SODA......... SODIUM BICARBONATE
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DRAIN CLEANERS...... SODIUM HYDROXIDE
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SANI-FLUSH.......... 75% SODIUM BISULFATE
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AMMONIA WATER....... AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE
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CITRUS FRUIT........ CITRIC ACID
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TABLE SALT.......... SODIUM CHLORIDE
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SUGAR............... SUCROSE
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MILK OF MAGNESIA.... MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE
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TINCTURE OF IODINE.. 47% ALCOHOL, 4% IODINE
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RUBBING ALCOHOL..... 70 OR 99% (DEPENDS ON BRAND) ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL
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(DO NOT DRINK!)
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ETC...
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EXP #1: YE OLD FIZZ EXPERIMENT
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MIX VINEGAR WITH BAKING SODA. IT PRODUCES SODIUM ACETATE AND CARBONIC
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ACID. CARBONIC ACID QUICKLY DECOMPOSES INTO CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER,
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RESULTING IN THE "FIZZ". THIS SIMPLE REACTION CAN BE CONTAINED IN A
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SMALL BOTTLE OR SOMETHING, AND WHEN ENOUGH PRESSURE BUILDS UP IT WILL
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BREAK OPEN.
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I SINCERELY DOUBT THAT IT WILL BLOW "ALL FOUR WALLS OFF THE HOUSE" AS
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SOME LOSER WROTE IN HIS SAFEHOUSE ARTICLE. THE SAME BASIC THING CAN BE
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DONE WITH DRY ICE & WATER, BAKING POWDER & WATER, CITRIC ACID & BAKING
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SODA, AND MANY OTHER COMBINATIONS.
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EXP #2: A FRUITY BATTERY
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IF YOU'RE EVER IN NEED OF A LITTLE POWER, GET YOUR HANDS ON THESE:
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A CITRUS FRUIT (LEMON, ORANGE, ETC)
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A SMALL ZINC STRIP
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A SMALL COPPER STRIP
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JUST STICK THE ZINC STRIP IN ONE END OF A LEMON AND A COPPER STRIP IN
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THE OTHER. YOU NOW HAVE A 1.5 VOLT BATTERY! JUST ATTACH THE WIRES TO THE
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COPPER & ZINC STRIPS...
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EXP #3: GENERATING CHLORINE GAS
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THIS IS SLIGHTLY MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE OTHER TWO EXPERIMENTS, SO
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YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING BEFORE YOU TRY THIS...
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EVER WONDER WHY AMMONIA BOTTLES ALWAYS SAY 'DO NOT MIX WITH CHLORINE
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BLEACH', AND VISA-VERSA? THAT'S BECAUSE IF YOU MIX AMMONIA WATER WITH
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AJAX OR SOMETHING LIKE IT, IT WILL GIVE OFF CHLORINE GAS. TO CAPTURE
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IT, GET A LARGE BOTTLE AND PUT AJAX IN THE BOTTOM. THEN POUR SOME
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AMMONIA DOWN INTO THE BOTTLE. SINCE THE CHLORINE IS HEAVIER THAN AIR, IT
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WILL STAY DOWN IN THERE UNLESS YOU USE LARGE AMOUNTS OF EITHER AJAX OR
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AMMONIA (DON'T!). FOR SOMETHING FUN TO DO WITH CHLORINE STAY TUNED....
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EXP #4: CHLORINE + TURPENTINE
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TAKE A SMALL CLOTH OR RAG AND SOAK IT IN TURPENTINE. QUICKLY DROP IT
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INTO THE BOTTLE OF CHLORINE. IT SHOULD GIVE OFF A LOT OF BLACK SMOKE
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AND PROBABLY START BURNING...
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EXP #5: GENERATING HYDROGEN GAS
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TO GENERATE HYDROGEN, ALL YOU NEED IS AN ACID AND A METAL THAT WILL
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REACT WITH THAT ACID. TRY VINEGAR (ACETIC ACID) WITH ZINC, ALUMINUM,
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MAGNESIUM, ETC. YOU CAN COLLECT HYDROGEN IN SOMETHING IF YOU NOTE THAT
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IT IS LIGHTER THAN AIR.... LIGHT A SMALL AMOUNT AND IT BURNS WITH A
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SMALL *POP*.
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ANOTHER WAY OF CREATING HYDROGEN IS BY THE ELECTROLYSIS OF WATER.
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THIS INVOLVES SEPERATING WATER (H2O) INTO HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN BY AN
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ELECTRIC CURRENT. TO DO THIS, YOU NEED A 6-12 VOLT BATTERY, TWO TEST
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TUBES, A LARGE BOWL, TWO CARBON ELECTRODES (TAKE THEM OUT OF AN
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UNWORKING 6-12 VOLT BATTERY), AND TABLE SALT. DISSOLVE THE SALT IN A
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LARGE BOWL FULL OF WATER. SUBMERGE THE TWO TEST TUBES IN THE WATER AND
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PUT THE ELECTRODES INSIDE THEM, WITH THE MOUTH OF THE TUBE AIMING DOWN.
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CONNECT THE BATTERY TO SOME WIRE GOING DOWN TO THE ELECTRODES. THIS WILL
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WORK FOR A WHILE, BUT CHLORINE WILL BE GENERATED ALONG WITH THE OXYGEN
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WHICH WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CORRODE YOUR COPPER WIRES LEADING TO THE CARBON
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ELECTRODES... (THE TABLE SALT IS BROKEN UP INTO CHLORINE AND SODIUM
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IONS, THE CHLORINE COMES OFF AS A GAS WITH OXYGEN WHILE SODIUM REACTS
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WITH THE WATER TO FORM SODIUM HYDROXIDE....). THEREFORE, IF YOU CAN GET
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YOUR HANDS ON SOME SULFURIC ACID, USE IT INSTEAD. IT WILL NOT AFFECT THE
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REACTION OTHER THAN MAKING THE WATER CONDUCT ELECTRICITY.
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EXP #6: HYRDOGEN + CHLORINE
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TAKE THE TEST TUBE OF HYDROGEN AND COVER THE MOUTH WITH YOUR THUMB.
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KEEP IT INVERTED, AND BRING IT NEAR THE BOTTLE OF CHLORINE (NOT ONE THAT
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HAS REACTED WITH TURPENTINE). SAY "GOODBYE TEST TUBE", AND DROP IT INTO
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THE BOTTLE. THE HYDROGEN AND CHLORINE SHOULD REACT AND POSSIBLY EXPLODE
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(DEPENDING ON PURITY AND AMOUNT OF EACH GAS). AN INTERESTING THING ABOUT
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THIS IS THEY WILL NOT REACT IF IT IS DARK AND NO HEAT OR OTHER ENERGY IS
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AROUND. WHEN A LIGHT IS TURNED ON, ENOUGH ENERGY IS PRESENT TO CAUSE
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THEM TO REACT...
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EXP #7: PREPARATION OF OXYGEN
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GET SOME HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (FROM A DRUG STORE) AND MANGANESE DIOXIDE
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(FROM A BATTERY- IT'S A BLACK POWDER). MIX THE TWO IN A BOTTLE, AND THEY
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GIVE OFF OXYGEN. IF THE BOTTLE IS STOPPERED, PRESSURE WILL BUILD UP AND
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SHOOT IT OFF. TRY LIGHTING A WOOD SPLINT AND STICKING IT (WHEN ONLY
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GLOWING) INTO THE BOTTLE. THE OXYGEN WILL MAKE IT BURST INTO FLAME.
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EXPERIMENT WITH IT. THE OXYGEN WILL ALLOW THINGS TO BURN BETTER...
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EXP #8: ALCOHOL
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BUY SOME RUBBING ALCOHOL IN A DRUG STORE. USUALLY THIS IS EITHER 70%
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OR 99% ALCOHOL AND BURNS JUST GREAT. YOU CAN SOAK A TOWEL IN WATER AND
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THEN IN ACOHOL, LIGHT THE TOWEL, AND WHEN IT FINISHES BURNING THE
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ALCOHOL, THE FLAME SHOULD GO OUT AND LEAVE THE TOWEL UNHARMED. NICE FOR
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"PARTY TRICKS", ETC.
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EXP #9: IODINE?
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TINCTURE OF IODINE CONTAINS MAINLY ALCOHOL AND A LITTLE IODINE. TO
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SEPERATE THEM, PUT THE TINCTURE OF IODINE IN A METAL LID TO A BOTTLE AND
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HEAT IT OVER A CANDLE. HAVE A STAND HOLDING ANOTHER METAL LID DIRECTLY
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OVER THE TINCTURE (ABOUT 4-6 INCHES ABOVE IT) WITH ICE ON TOP OF IT. THE
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ALCOHOL SHOULD EVAPORATE, AND THE IODINE SHOULD SUBLIME, BUT SHOULD
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REFORM IODINE CRYSTALS ON THE COLD METAL LID DIRECTLY ABOVE. IF THIS
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WORKS (I HAVEN'T TRIED), YOU CAN USE THE IODINE ALONG WITH HOUSEHOLD
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AMMONIA TO FORM NITROGEN TRIIODIDE (DISCUSSED IN ARTICLE #1).
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EXP #10: GRAIN-ELEVATOR EXPLOSION!
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WANT TO TRY YOUR OWN 'GRAIN-ELEVATOR EXPLOSION'? GET A CANDLE AND
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SOME FLOUR... LIGHT THE CANDLE AND PUT SOME FLOUR IN YOUR HAND. TRY
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VARIOUS WAYS OF GETTING THE FLOUR TO LEAVE YOUR HAND AND BECOME DUST
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RIGHT OVER THE CANDLE FLAME. THE ENORMOUS SURFACE AREA ALLOWS ALL THE
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TINY DUST PARTICLES TO BURN, WHICH THEY DO AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME,
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COMBINING TO FORM A FIREBALL EFFECT. IN GRAIN ELEVATORS, MUCH THE SAME
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THING HAPPENS. IF YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON SOME LYCOPODIUM POWDER, DO.
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THIS WILL WORK MUCH BETTER, CREATING HUGE FIREBALLS THAT ARE UNEXPECTED.
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THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW...
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MORE TO COME IN LATER CHEMIST'S CORNER ARTICLES...
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...ZAPHOD BEEBLEBROX/MPG!
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---------------------------------------
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TRIXS OF THE TRADE...APPLE-BOOTLEGGER
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CRACKER JACK
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Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253
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