Chemistry projects that I can create at home

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around suggestions for chemistry projects that can be conducted at home, particularly for 12th-grade students. The focus is on projects that are low-cost and utilize readily available household chemicals, while also considering safety precautions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks project ideas that can be done at home due to the lack of a school laboratory.
  • Another participant suggests synthesizing potassium ferrioxalate, noting that it produces green crystals and uses diluted household chemicals, but emphasizes the need for supervision from someone experienced.
  • Soap-making is mentioned as a project that requires careful handling of caustic substances, with safety precautions like gloves and goggles being necessary.
  • A participant describes a method for growing sugar crystals, detailing the process and suggesting variations with colorants and solution depth.
  • A simple titration experiment using vinegar and baking soda is proposed as a way to understand chemical reactions, with an additional suggestion to measure CO2 production.
  • Some participants express concerns about safety and the need for protective gear, particularly goggles, before conducting any experiments.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of safety in conducting chemistry experiments at home. However, there are multiple competing ideas regarding the types of projects that can be undertaken, and the discussion remains unresolved on which project is the best choice.

Contextual Notes

Some suggestions depend on the availability of specific household chemicals and safety equipment, which may not be accessible to all participants. There are also varying levels of experience and comfort with handling potentially hazardous materials.

Saba_467
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TL;DR
Mini Chemistry projects to work on
There is no laboratory in my school ,looking for best chemistry project ideas for the 12th class students at minimal cost and that can be prepared at home .
need suggestions on this,response would be appreciated
 
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I have a synthesis manual for potassium ferrioxalate lying around which is actually quite simple and the "dangerous chemicals" are diluted. Makes some really nice green crystals, and tends to be succesful.

All chemicals should be available as household chemicals.

Although, I'm not sure it's such a good idea unless you have someone experienced to look over your shoulder.
 
Some few people like to prepare soap at home, but still this requires care and handling of caustic potash and caustic soda. Use gloves, goggles, and arrange for plans in case of accidents.
 
There is always the grade school standby of growing sugar crystals.

  1. Dissolve granulated sugar in warm or hot water. You want a saturated solution.
  2. Mostly fill a clear glass container (drinking glass?) with the solution.
  3. Suspend a string in the solution (Cotton, Linen, etc. Not Synthetic). To keep the string away from the sides, tie one end to a safety pin, hair pin, or whatever can be found around the house. The other end is held with a stick (or whatever is handy) across the top of the glass.
  4. As the solution cools and evaporates, sugar crystals will grow on the string.
I don't remember the fine details or how long it takes, better try it first to get everything right!

A variation could be adding various colorants to multiple copies of the experiment and periodically moving growing crystals to different solutions.

You could also vary the solution depth in the different colors, showing how colors combine.

Have Fun!
Tom
 
It's not flashy, no crystals or explosions, etc., but I would suggest a simple titration experiment. Vinegar has acetic acid in it; but how much? You'll need to get an appropriate indicator, like litmus paper. But then you can measure everything carefully and add baking soda to balance the pH. This is the sort of real chemistry that people do. It's mostly about understanding the reactions, designing the experiment, executing it properly, and calculating an answer.

Extra credit - How much CO2 was produced when you did the experiment?
 
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Mayhem said:
I have a synthesis manual for potassium ferrioxalate lying around which is actually quite simple and the "dangerous chemicals" are diluted. Makes some really nice green crystals, and tends to be succesful.

All chemicals should be available as household chemicals.

Although, I'm not sure it's such a good idea unless you have someone experienced to look over your shoulder.
I will try it once thank you so much for the suggesting me
 
symbolipoint said:
Some few people like to prepare soap at home, but still this requires care and handling of caustic potash and caustic soda. Use gloves, goggles, and arrange for plans in case of accidents.
yeah good idea, however I don't have googles right now to prevent from accidents
 
Saba_467 said:
yeah good idea, however I don't have googles right now to prevent from accidents
Then don't do any chemistry experiments until you can get a pair.
 
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