Fluid Density Activity: Non-Sticky, Safe, and Cheap

[flatmaster]

I'm writing an activity on fluid density. I'm looking for a safe, cheap fluid denser than water to explore density. The idea is to replace messy corn syrup or honey. It's a pain to clean syrup fluids out of the manometer. Were already doing simulated sea water. Any ideas?

 

[alxm]

Hmm, how safe? How dense? When I think dense fluids with low viscosity, I mostly think of organic halides. E.g. chloroform and tet are both readily available and both have densities of about 1.5 kg/l, but they're also somewhat hazardous.

Glycol is safer and cheaper, but less dense and stickier.

 

[flatmaster]

High school.student safe

 

[flatmaster]

Just as an example, I'm pretty sure a student tasted the corn syrup because it smelled "heavenly"

 

[alxm]

Just as an example, I'm pretty sure a student tasted the corn syrup because it smelled "heavenly"

Well by that standard even glycol is out (since it happens to taste sweet)!
Glycerine perhaps?

 

[minerva]

Here are some interesting candidates for high-density solutions you might want to think about.

It's not trivial to find common, cheap, easily obtainable high-density liquids which aren't at least somewhat toxic compounds.

Dichloromethane: 1.33 g/cm³, slightly toxic.
Chloroform: 1.48 g/cm³, moderately toxic.
Carbon tetrachloride: 1.6 g/cm³; quite toxic.
Zinc iodide in aqueous solution: density ?, not significantly toxic.
Caesium formate aqueous solution: 2.3 g/cm³, not significantly toxic.
Lithium heteropolytungstate aqueous solution: 2.9 g/cm³; not significant toxic.
Bromoform: 2.9 g/cm³, slightly toxic.
Tetrabromoethane: 3 g/cm³, slightly toxic.
Diiodomethane: 3.33 g/cm³, moderately toxic.
Clerici solution: 4.25 g/cm³, very toxic.

 

[flatmaster]

Well, the overall activity is about sea water. I think I might model the current salinitu of the dead sea or the great salt lake. Besides, we already have a qualitative question about why one floats better in these bodies of water.

 

[QuantumPion]

Lithium heteropolytungstate aqueous solution: 2.9 g/cm³; not significant toxic.

That sounds like an awesome drink, can I get one of those on the rocks with a little umbrella?

 

[PaulS1950]

A water based solution of metal salts might work well:
copper sulfate
ferrous sulfate
calcium carbonate
some of these will be poisonous but that may help keep the gene pool in better shape.