THE MAGIC OF CHEMISTRY SHOW

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "THE MAGIC OF CHEMISTRY SHOW"

Joan Martin
5 years ago
Views:

1 THE MAGIC OF CHEMISTRY SHOW WARNING: These demonstrations are potentially dangerous and should be prepared and performed by someone with a sound training in chemistry. FLAG SPRAYING Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Ferric chloride anhydrous, ammonium thiocyanate, potassium ferrocyanide. (ii) Whatman paper 46 x 57 cm, 2 brushes, plant sprayer. Preparation: Prepare 0.1M solutions of chemicals listed above. Fill sprayer with FeCl3; brush NH4SCN (for red) K4Fe6(CN)6 (for blue) on the Whatman paper. Let paper dry thoroughly. Spray the paper with the FeCl3 solution. Red and blue colours will be revealed. OSCILLATING CLOCK iodate, sulfuric acid, malonic acid, soluble starch, manganous sulfate, 30% hydrogen peroxide. (ii) 1 L beakers (3), 250 ml flask with stoppers (3). Preparation: Prepare the following three solutions: Solution 1: g KIO3 in 1500 ml H2O ml H2SO4 in 1500 ml H2O Solution 2: g malonic acid in 1000 ml H2O g starch in 1000 ml boiling H2O g MnSO4 in 1000mL H2O Solution 3: (To be prepared shortly before the show) 400 ml of H2O2 diluted with H2O to a total volume of 1000 ml. 250 ml of solution 1 and 2 respectively are mixed before the show in each one of the three 1 L beakers. When the time comes 250 ml of the H2O2 solution is added to each of the premixed solutions leading to a symphony of colour changes. HARD WATER Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Calcium acetate, ethanol. (ii) 600 ml beakers (2), beaker tongs, large watch glass. Preparation: Prepare a solution of saturated calcium acetate (300 g of salt in 1000 ml H2O). 40 ml of calcium acetate solution are added to one beaker and 300 ml of ethanol to the other. The solutions are transferred back and forth until they solidify. The solid can then be lighted, demonstrating the change to fire water. Extinguish by placing the watch glass on top of the beaker. HOT! Handle with tongs.

2 SYNTHETIC ORANGE JUICE Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Sodium arsenite, glacial acetic acid, sodium thiosulfate, orange juice. (ii) Small vodka flask, two drinking glasses. Preparation: Prepare the following two solutions: Solution 1: 18 g sodium arsenite in 900 ml H2O ml acetic acid Solution 2: 200 g sodium thiosulfate in 1000 ml H 2 O 2 Add 150 ml of solution 1 to the vodka flask and 150 ml of solution 2 to a drinking glass. Fill the other drinking glass with 300 ml orange juice. When a screwdriver is requested by the audience pour 1 into 2; after a 10 sec delay the orange colour will rise from the bottom. The glasses can be interchanged and the "screwdriver" drunk. LUMINOL Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Luminol, sodium hydroxide, potassium ferri- cyanide, hydrogen peroxide 30%. (ii) 1 L flasks (2), 2 L volumetric flask (1), large glass funnel. Preparation: Prepare the following two solutions: Solution 1: 0.6 g luminol added to 2370 ml H 2 O + 30 ml of 10% sodium hydroxide Solution 2: 9 g potassium ferricyanide added to 2391 ml H 2 O. Add 500 ml of solution 1 to one Erlenmeyer flask and 500 ml of solution 2 to the other. Just before the show add 5 ml of 30% H2O2 to solution 2. Make sure all the lights are out and pour 1 and 2 simultaneously through the glass funnel into the 2 L volumetric flask. VOLCANO Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Ammonium dichromate, acetone. (ii) Asbestos pad, matches, small porcelaine dish, 90-dram vial. Preparation: Fill up the 90-dram vial with the ammonium dichromate. Fill the dish with the ammonium dichromate. Add a few drops of acetone and light up. BURNING MONEY Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Ethanol. (ii) Crucible tongs, 250 ml beaker, dollar bill, matches. Preparation: Add 100 ml of ethanol and 50 ml of water to a 250 ml beaker. Using the tongs, dip the money in the solution. Make sure all the lights are out and put a match to the bill. Money will burn and remain unmarked.

3 WATER TO BLOOD Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Ferric chloride anhydrous, ammonium thio- cyanate. (ii) Wine pitcher, glass. Preparation: Prepare a dilute solution of ferric chloride (8 g per 1000 ml water) and fill the pitcher. Add a few crystals of ammonium thiocyanate to a glass. 3 Pour the water (or "wine") from the pitcher into the glass where it will change to "blood." WATER-WINE-MILK-BEER hydroxide pellets, phenolphthalein, antimony chloride, sodium bicarbonate, detergent powder. (ii) Pitcher, wine glass, milk glass, beer mug. Preparation: Dissolve 8 pellets of potassium hydroxide in 200 ml of water in the pitcher. Add phenolphthalein to the bottom of the wine glass. Prepare a saturated solution of antimony chloride in 12N hydrochloric acid and add enough to cover the bottom of the milk glass. Add a 50:50 mixture of sodium bicarbonate: detergent powder to the bottom of the beer mug. Pour "water" into wine glass to make "wine." Then transfer "wine" to milk glass to make "milk" and transfer the latter to the mug for a frosty "beer." RED WINE-WHITE WINE Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Tannic acid, ferric chloride anhydrous, conc. sulfuric acid. (ii) Large pitcher, 6 wine glasses, 30-mL dropping bottle. Preparation: Prepare a stock solution of tannic acid (25 g per 200 ml water) and a saturated solution of ferric chloride. Pour 15 ml of tannic solution into the pitcher and add approximately 1 to 1.5 liters of water (until the colour becomes that of white wine. Add ferric chloride (2 drops only) and conc. sulfuric acid to the bottom of the wine glasses as shown below. H2SO4 Nothing H2SO Nothing FeCl3 Nothing "White wine" is added to 1 and 3 without change but when added to 2 turns to "red wine." 1, 2, and 3 are poured back into the pitcher. "Red wine" is poured into 5 without change but when poured into 4 and 6 turns to "white wine." 4, 5 and 6 are poured back into pitcher for original "white wine."

4 DISAPPEARING GOLD Chemicals & Apparatus: chloride, potassium iodide. (ii) 600 ml beakers (2). (i) Mercuric Preparation: Prepare the following two solutions: Solution 1: 10 mg mercuric chloride in 1500 ml H 2 O Solution 2: 30 g potassium iodide in 1500 ml H 2 O Add 200 ml of 1 to beaker 1 and 250 ml of 2 to beaker 2. 4 Add some 2 to 1; gold appears. Add more 2 to 1; gold disappears. BLUE SHAKING DYE hydroxide pellets, glucose, methylene blue. (ii) 1 L flask with stopper, vials (2). Preparation: Prepare a 0.1% solution of methylene blue. Weigh into vials 13 g of potassium hydroxide and 10 g of glucose respectively. An hour before the show dissolve the solids into 500 ml of water in the flask. Add 8 ml or less of methylene blue solution (no blue ring should be apparent when solution has turned colourless). Shake the colourless solution and it will turn blue. Upon standing it will return to colourless. This can be repeated. If the blue colour fades after a certain time add more methylene blue solution. RED SHAKING DYE Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Potassium hydroxide pellets, glucose, resazurin. (ii) 1 L flask with stopper, vials (2). Preparation: Prepare a 0.1% solution of resazurin in water. Weigh into vials 13 g of potassium hydroxide and 10 g of glucose respectively. An hour before the show dissolve the solids into 500 ml of water in the flask. Add about 2 ml of resazurin solution; no red ring should be apparent after the solution has turned colourless. Shake the colourless solution and it will turn red. Upon standing it will return to colourless. This can be repeated. If the red colour fades add more resazurin solution.

5 TRAFFIC LIGHT hydroxide pellets, glucose, benzoin, indigo carmine. (ii) 1 L flask with stopper. Preparation: Prepare the following solutions: Solution 1: 32 g of KOH in 1200 ml H2O Solution 2: 40 g glucose in 1200 ml H2O Solution 3: 0.5 g benzoin in 500 ml H2O Solution 4: 1.0 g indigo carmine in 200 ml H2O Add 200 ml of 1, 200 ml of 2, 60 ml of 3 and 16 ml of 4 to the flask. 5 Upon standing the solution goes to orange. Shake it once and it goes to red; shake again and it goes to green. Upon standing colour changes will occur in the reverse order, back to orange. This can be repeated; if colours fade add more indigo carmine solution. OLD NASSAU (BLACK GOLD) Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Soluble starch, sodium hydrogen sulfite, mercuric chloride, potassium iodate. (ii) 600 ml beakers (3). Preparation: Prepare the following three solutions: Solution 1: 4 g starch in 500 ml H2O + 15 g NaHSO3 in 500 ml H2O Solution 2: 3 g mercuric chloride in 1000 ml H2O Solution 3: 15 g potassium iodate in 1000 ml H2O Pour 175 ml of 1, 2 and 3 respectively into each one of the beakers. Add 1 to 2, swirl and add to 3. Colour goes first to yellow and then to black. NYLON Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Sebacyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride, 1,6- diaminohexane, sodium hydroxide. (ii) Petri dish (10 cm), copper wire. Preparation: Prepare the following two solutions: Solution 1: 2 ml sebacyl chloride in 100 ml carbon tetrachloride Solution 2: 4.4 g 1,6-diaminohexane in 100 ml of 3% sodium hydroxide solution Add solution 1 first to the dish and then slowly add 2. Nylon will form at the interface from where it can be pulled using the wire. CANNON (PISTOL) Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) White phosphorous, carbon disulfide. (ii) Filter paper, caps or firecrackers, matches, play pistol (or cannon), 30-ml dropping bottle. Preparation: Dissolve phosphorous in a small amount of carbon disulfide; load a play pistol or cannon. Put a drop of phosphorous solution onto the filter paper. This should be timed carefully so that it will ignite when the cannon or pistol is fired.

6 ROCKET Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Aniline, benzoyl peroxide. (ii) Paper-built rocket, 30-mL dropping bottle, utility clamp, 3-dram vial. Preparation: Add aniline to the dropping bottle and a small amount of benzoyl peroxide to the vial. Clamp the vial using the utility clamp. 6 Add one drop of aniline to the benzoyl peroxide and place the rocket on top of the vial. After a 10 sec delay rocket will take off in a puff of smoke. RED FIRE chlorate, sugar, strontium nitrate, conc. sulfuric acid. (ii) Asbestos pad, 150 ml beaker, vials (2), glass stirring rod, dropper. Preparation: Fill one vial with potassium chlorate and cap; fill the other vial with sugar plus approximately 0.5 g of strontium nitrate and cap. Just before the show stir the contents of the two vials into the beaker. Place the beaker on the asbestos pad and add 1.3 ml conc. sulfuric acid. After a brief crackling an intense red flame is produced (STAND BACK!). RAINBOW Chemicals & Apparatus: (i) Phenolphthalein, thymolphthalein, m-nitrophenol, KOH pellets, conc. sulfuric acid, 95% ethanol. (ii) l L Erlenmeyer flask (1), 1 L beaker (1), clear plastic glasses (6), dropper. Preparation: Dissolve each indicator in 30 ml ethanol in the proportions indicated below. Then dissolve 2 pellets of KOH in 500 ml of water in a one liter Erlenmeyer flask. Add a few ml of concentrated sulfuric acid to a one litre beaker Indicator Phenolph. Thymolph. m-nitrophenol (1) Red 1.45 g g (2) Orange 0.45 g g (3) Yellow g (4) Green g 6.0 g (5) Blue g --- (6) Violet 0.9 g 0.4 g --- Just before the show, add 2 drops of each indicator to 6 clear plastic glasses. If the mixture dries out it can be revived with a few drops of ethanol. Pour from the KOH solution into the three "primary colors" glasses: red (1), yellow (3) and blue (5). Then obtain the "composed colors": orange (2), green (4) and violet (6). The full rainbow of colors is converted back to a clear solution by pouring all 6 glasses into the sulfuric acid beaker.

CNY ACS Demonstrations

CNY ACS Demonstrations Excerpts from 2015 Education night in Syracuse, NY Preface Note The demonstrations and descriptions of use of the chemicals and equipment in this handout have been compiled using