Coolest chemistry at-home experiments

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around interesting and fun chemistry experiments that can be conducted at home. Participants share various experiments, highlighting their methods and the reactions involved.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant mentions the "gold penny trick," which involves using a penny, zinc solution, and a propane torch.
  • Another participant describes a reaction between Copper(II) Chloride and Aluminum powder that produces multi-colored fumes.
  • Several participants express interest in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reactions, noting their visual appeal and complexity.
  • A participant shares a method involving the exposure of muriatic acid fume to household ammonia fume, resulting in a dense white smoke, while cautioning against inhalation.
  • Another participant recalls a childhood experiment using vinegar and baking soda in a wine bottle to launch a cork outdoors.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants share a variety of experiments without indicating any consensus on which is the "coolest" or most interesting, suggesting multiple competing views on the topic.

Contextual Notes

Some experiments mentioned may involve safety risks, and participants express caution regarding inhalation of fumes. The feasibility of certain reactions may depend on specific conditions or materials not detailed in the discussion.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in home chemistry experiments, educators looking for engaging demonstrations, and hobbyists exploring chemical reactions.

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What do you think are some of the coolest, most fun, or most interesting chemistry experiments to do at home, and how did you do them?
 
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It's got to be the gold penny trick. You need a penny some zinc solution and a propane torch.
 
Copper(II) Chloride will react with Aluminum powder and give off multi-colored (purple, yellow, white) fumes. This is a very cool reaction to watch.
 
Any of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reactions (if you can pull one off) are quite neat to watch.
 
Googling 'Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction"...

Oh yeah! Oscillators, very cool...

Epstein et al., "Oscillating Chemical Reactions", Scientific American, Mar., 1983, pp. 112-123.

Walker, "The Amateur Scientist-Chemical Systems that oscillate between one color and another", Scientific American, Jul., 1978, pp. 120-130.
 
Last edited:
Exposing muriatic acid fume to household ammonia fume.
Produces a dense white smoke. Probably not good to breathe though.

Also when I was a kid we used to put vinegar and baking soda in an old wine bottle and see how we could shoot the cork, outdoors of course.

Jim
 

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