Science Experiments

Posts Tagged ‘video’

Question: What is the worst smell your kid can make?

So my 8 year old has been puking and pooping all day. I have to say that stomach flu diarrhea is the worst. However, I just popped into my 17 year old step-son’s room to get his dirty towels and almost fell over. I found his socks that he wore to his wrestling tournament Saturday laying next to a glass that looks like a science experiment gone wrong. I seriously ran to his trash and puked.

Can anyone top this?

Answer: Jamie’s toots stink worse than his poops!! I honestly don’t know when he poops, because he doesn’t strain or make a lot of noise, and its not horribly smelly!

Watch out for the ones you can hear though! MAN are they bad.

(Stomach virus poops are bad too lol)

Science Experiment gone wrong

Question: Recreate the Gold Penny Lab?

In chemistry a few days ago, my class and I made a post 1982 penny turn gold color by using a liquid substance (I assume it’s NaOH) and Zinc powder. I understand how the chemical reactions work, and I want to reproduce the experiment at home. I know I can replace the zinc powder w/ galvanized nails, but I don’t know what I can do for the liquid substance. If it is NaOH, can I replace it w/ lyewater? I’d prefer to use something that is relatively safe (some idiot suggested boiling Drano).
Also, if you can, I would like any safety percautions that need to be done, both pre and post lab. I have been told zinc powder, after being exposed to water, generates heat enough to light things on fire. Do galvanized nails do that? I merely want to see if I can make some gifts for my little brother and sister.

Thank you in advance!

Answer: Galvinized nails won’t do that. Zinc powder has so much surface area that the reaction occurs very rapidly.

As for the sodium hydroxide. You can buy caustic lye at any soap making store, and in the detergent aisles of some megamarts. Here’s the thing, it is very, very, VERY dangerous. Many people who used to use it to do laundry went blind because it is such a dangerous chemical. If you get it on your hands, it will burn you. I don’t know how old you are, but you need to be supervised by somebody who has experience in working with lye (maybe ye olde soapmaker?). Make a solution of lye no more than 1 molar (that is about 50 grams per liter, off the top of my head), and pour it down the drain with lots and lots of water when you are done. I know chemistry labs seem like a lot of fun, but without a teacher to supervise, a lot of dangerous thing can happen.

How to stock a home lab