Tesla Coil Show

Nicola Tesla invented the Tesla coil (bobina Tesla in spanish), which is used to produce a extreme high voltage. The voltage generated is high enough to ionize air producing amazing sparks lightning like...About how it works it is just too complicated for me. For more cool related videos click here

Manganese Heptoxide oxidizing a potato chip

from wikipedia
Mn₂O₇ arises as a dark green oil by the addition of concentrated H₂SO₄ to KMnO₄. The reaction initially produces permanganic acid, HMnO₄ (structurally, HOMnO₃), which is dehydrated by sulfuric acid to form its anhydride, Mn₂O₇.

2 KMnO₄ +(cold) 2 H₂SO₄ → Mn₂O₇ + H₂O + 2 KHSO₄

Mn2O7 is a volatile liquid highly reactive being a powerful oxidiser. It is able to oxidise (burn), no sparks needed, any sort of organic matter...sugar, hydrocarbons, paper, and even a potao chip!!!....

MIT Physics Demo -- Bicycle Wheel Gyroscope

from video despription

A bicycle wheel is suspended from one of end of its axie by a rope, and spun up by hand. The wheel's axle is then placed horizontally and the free end of the axle processes about the supported end.

The gyroscope seems to defy gravity because the torque created by the spinning wheel counteracts the torque due to gravity. Gyroscopes have been used through history for varied uses such as stabilizing spacecraft or for guidance systems on ships and missiles.

MAGNETIC LEVITATION

from wikipedia

Magnetic levitation is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields. A substance that is diamagnetic repels a magnetic field and in theory can be subject of magnetic levitation. However, although all materials have diamagnetic properties, the effect is very weak. Superconductivity is an electrical resistance of exactly zero which occurs in certain materials below a characteristic temperature. Superconductors may be considered perfect diamagnets what give them the property of completely expelling magnetic fields and therefore inducing magnetic levitation...

Radiation Explained Alpha Beta Gamma 1960s Mr Wizard

Types of radioactive radiation. For further explanation on how those different types were discovered click here

MAKING ZnS

Zn + 1/8 S8 = ZnS


Zn just gets oxidised to Zn+2 by 1/8 S8 that gets reduced to S2- forming ZnS which is a mineral also called blende or sphalerite

Making Nylon

Nylon is a polymer made by the condensation reaction between a diacid and a diamine. The acid and amine groups join together forming amide links realising water (this is why it is called condensation reaction)...

Vinegar, Bicarbonate and Candles!!

NaHCO3 (Sodium Bicarbonate) + HOOCCH3 (from vinegar) = H2CO3 (Carbonic Acid) + NaOOCCH3(Sodium acetate

H2CO3 decomposes to CO2 (gas) + H2O

CO2 is a heavier gas than air so when the jar is put near the candles the CO2 coming out of the jar pushes away the air surrounding the candles putting them off...

Braniac - The danger of nylon

Static electricity generated on your nylon clothes when they rub against your skin are enough to fire a bomb!!

THE NAKED SCIENTISTS

THE NAKED SCIENTISTS

This is a British science radio show you can listen on-line podcasting shows since 2000!! It talks about current matters covering all aspects of science...chemistry, physics, biology, archaeology, astronomy, medicine...with lots of awesome different sections including a science forum (that answers to those questions you have always been wondering about), kitchen science (experiments that can be done at home, science scrapbook, and much more....

Oxygen in Air

Air composition is:

Nitrogen N2 78.084 %
Oxygen O2 20.9476 %
Argon Ar 0.934 %
Carbon Dioxide CO2 0.0314 %
Neon Ne 0.001818 %
Methane CH4 0.0002 %
Helium He 0.000524 %
Krypton Kr 0.000114 %
Hydrogen H2 0.00005 %
Xenon Xe 0.0000087 %

...and this is one way to meausure the amount of O2 than contains (21 %) through the oxidation reaction of Cu to CuO...

Amazing Crystal Cave

The BIGGEST CRYSTALS in the world!! Some of them are more than 10 meters long!! They are made of selenite which is a form of gypsum (Spanish: yeso). Its formula is CaSO4.2 H2O.

Cave of the Crystals (from wikipedia)or Giant Crystal Cave (Spanish: Cueva de los Cristales) is a cave in Mexico. The main chamber contains giant selenite crystals, some of the largest natural crystals ever found. The cave's largest crystal found to date is 11 m (36 ft) in length, 4 m (13 ft) in diameter and 55 tons in weight. The cave is extremely hot with air temperatures reaching up to 58 °C (136 °F). The cave is relatively unexplored due to the extreme temperatures and high humidity. Without proper protection people can only endure approximately ten minutes of exposure at a time.

The Periodic Table of Videos

THE PERIODIC TABLE OF VIDEOS

This awesome web has a video of each element in the periodic table. And much more....

calcium in water

I have always pictured calcium as a white solid, maybe because its presence in milk or bones...however, pure calcium it is a silvery metal that reacts quite violently with water...

Ca(silvery metal) + 2 H2O = Ca(OH)2 (white solid, a bit soluble in water) + H2 (gas)

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is EVIL!!!  P4 + 5O2 = 2 P2O5 + a lot of heat....among other lots of bad things!!

New Section: SCIENCE HISTORY

The first episode of an outstanding BBC series about History of Chemistry inagurates our new section of Science History. Check it out!!!!

BBC |Chemistry: A Volatile History | Ep1 Discovering the Elements

 PART 1   PART 2   PART 3   PART 4   PART 5   PART 6

 

Egg and Vinegar Experiment

Acid-Base reaction:


CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) + 2 HOOCCH3 (acetic acid) = Ca(OOCCH3)2 (calcium acetate) + H2CO3 (carbonic acid)

The CaCO3 from the egg shell is a hard solid (it is the main component of for instance stalactites) and when it reacts with the acetic acid that vinegar contains forms Ca(OOCCH3)2 that is a powdery solid soluble in H2O. The carbonic acid released is unstable and decomposes into CO2 (gas bubbles around the egg shell) and H2O.

Liquid Nitrogen vs. Liquid Oxygen: Magnetism

N2 is DIAMAGNETIC or non-magnetic, and O2 is PARAMAGNETIC

Beautiful reaction between bromine and aluminium

This is a REDOX reaction followed by an ACID-BASE one


2 Al + 3 Br2 (red liquid) = 2 AlBr3

AlBr3 + 3 H2O (from air) = Al(OH)3 + 3 HBr (red gas)

Hydrochloric acid bomb

3 HCl + Al = AlCl3 + 3/2 H2   

Acoustic Levitation Chamber

I have no clue how this works but it is really cool. Do UFOs use the same technology??? For a full explanation click here

And this is due to the "Leidenfrost effect", which (from wikipedia) is a phenomenon in which a liquid, in near contact with a mass significantly hotter than the liquid's boiling point, produces an insulating vapor layer which keeps that liquid from boiling rapidly. This is most commonly seen when cooking; one sprinkles drops of water in a skillet to gauge its temperature—if the skillet's temperature is at or above the Leidenfrost point, the water skitters across the metal and takes longer to evaporate than it would in a skillet that is above boiling temperature, but below the temperature of the Leidenfrost point. The effect is also responsible for the ability of liquid nitrogen to skitter across lab floors, collecting dust in the process. It has also been used in some potentially dangerous demonstrations, such as dipping a wet finger in molten lead or blowing out a mouthful of liquid nitrogen, both enacted without injury to the demonstrator. It should be noted that such experiments are potentially lethal.

Egg trick learn how now

In the youtube video comments there is this great explanation:

"when the matches burn, they heat up the air inside the bottle and release steam n causes the air inside the bottle to expand, forcing some out of the bottle, egg seals the top of the bottle, matches run out of oxygen and go out, the air in bottle cools, volume of air inside the bottle drops due to condensation of the water vapor and the cooling of dry air....exerts less pressure on the egg b/c the air pressure outside of the bottle doesn't change.. overcoming friction :D .."

Chemical volcano

Ammonium dichromate (NH4)2Cr2O7 decomposes when heated yielding green chromium(III) oxide, nitrogen and water vapor. It is a comproportionation reaction where Cr(+6) of Cr2O7(2-) gets reduced to Cr(+3) of Cr2O3 oxidising N(-3) of NH4(+) to N(0) of N2 gas. Also some H2O is released but it does not involve any REDOX process.

Visualization of Mercury vapors in UV light

Mercury and most of its compounds are extremely toxic. It has to be handled with care because it is liquid at or near room temperature and pressure and therefore its vapors are really toxic. These toxic vapors are invisible under normal light but as this video nicely shows they are there!!!

Jam jar pulse jet with HIPP jar and watercooling LONG RUN

I think this is how it works...

1) A fraction of the combustible ignites consuming all the oxygen inside the jar and hot gases (CO2 + H2O) come out of the jar

2) The low pressure generated inside the jar sucks in more air through the small hole on the jar lid and the the ignition of another fraction of combustible happens again

The repetition of these cycles is what generates that pulsating farty noise....this technique can be even used to generate thrust in aircraft engines

Reaction of Magnesium with Carbon Dioxide

maybe....

2 Mg + CO2 (dry ice) = 2MgO + CO

   Mg + CO = MgO + C

disposal of sodium

What was sodium used for in the war?.....anyone knows?...



-many thanks to Felipe from Singapore for sending this link -

Big Neodymium Magnets Destroying Stuff!!!

Bloody magnetism!!

Exothermic Reaction Molten Magic

Supersaturated solution of NaAcO strikes back again!!

The simplest motor of the world

The magnetic field generated at both sides of the battery is oriented in opposite directions....I think!!!

Golden Rain (precipitation of lead (II) iodide)

"Gold" like PbI2 crystals precipitate from a saturated solution in water. The solution is obtained dissolving PbI2 in hot water which will become saturated as the temperature goes down....

Chemistry Rap

PV = nRT...if the gas is ideal is the way it will be!!

Copper Sulfate Crystals - Timelapse

CuSO4 timelapse crystallisation from a saturated solution in water

Exothermic Iron-Oxide and Aluminum Reaction

Fe2O3 + 2 Al = 2 Fe + Al2O3 + A LOT OF HEAT!!

FLAMING HANDS

2H2 + O2 = 2H2O

Cool way to show a combustion!!

WHOOSH BOTTLE

Combustion of isopropanol gives ideally...

2 CH3CH(OH)CH3 + 9 O2 = 6 CO2 + 8 H2O

but normally not all the carbon is converted into CO2 as it is very nicely illustrated in this experiment...