Chemical Reactions at Home

[Guru13]

just tried the egg thing, it worked well but my egg had a bit of a slit in the side so the bottom plopped through, but not the top, still cool though.

[Kilroy]

mentos and diet coke

it might not be quite the fun instant reaction you're looking for, but if you place an egg (with the shell still on) in a bowl of vinegar for a few days it will get really big and rubbery

you can also mix large amount of cornstarch with a small amount of water (i forget the exact ratios) and get a cool product. basically you can roll it into a ball and watch it melt again, or if you try to jam a finger through it it resists you but you can push it right through with little preassure

I'm suprised it took a full page for somebody to mention mentos and diet coke!!

Its a new classic and easy and nondangerous and cheap and messy!

No Doubt. After seeing it on the Internet and Mythbusters I gave it a try. I have no idea what the specifics of the chemical reaction in that 2-Liter were, but the results are pretty wild.

Haven't eaten a Mento since, because it raised some serious questions in my head as to what the h**l is in a Mento.

[Mercer Boy]

Sorry...most of the chemical reactions I want to do at home create fire and/or explosions...and most of the reagents I would get from work wouldn't be available in a store either.

I've done a somewhat cool one with potassium iodide, hydrogen peroxide, and soap. You need to get fairly concentrated peroxide though...not the 3% crap you get for a disinfectant. I'm talking the 30-35% variety. The one time I made the solution too strong and the stuff shot out of the cylinder pretty dang fast, hahaha. I wish I could find the pic of it that I have...don't know if I hosted it or not.

[Omaha Red Sox]

I just opened this thread and will scroll through it later at home and shortly before I make a run to the grocery and/or hardware store.

The kid got one of those potato battery things for Christmas and we could never get it to work.

[knapplc]

Sorry...most of the chemical reactions I want to do at home create fire and/or explosions...and most of the reagents I would get from work wouldn't be available in a store either.

I've done a somewhat cool one with potassium iodide, hydrogen peroxide, and soap. You need to get fairly concentrated peroxide though...not the 3% crap you get for a disinfectant. I'm talking the 30-35% variety. The one time I made the solution too strong and the stuff shot out of the cylinder pretty dang fast, hahaha. I wish I could find the pic of it that I have...don't know if I hosted it or not.

That was posted earlier in the thread and it looks totally cool. Where did you get your potassium iodide? Do you remember how much it was? This is something I'd like to do at home, but potassium iodide isn't something most folks have laying around.

[Omaha Red Sox]

Sorry...most of the chemical reactions I want to do at home create fire and/or explosions...and most of the reagents I would get from work wouldn't be available in a store either.

I've done a somewhat cool one with potassium iodide, hydrogen peroxide, and soap. You need to get fairly concentrated peroxide though...not the 3% crap you get for a disinfectant. I'm talking the 30-35% variety. The one time I made the solution too strong and the stuff shot out of the cylinder pretty dang fast, hahaha. I wish I could find the pic of it that I have...don't know if I hosted it or not.

That was posted earlier in the thread and it looks totally cool. Where did you get your potassium iodide? Do you remember how much it was? This is something I'd like to do at home, but potassium iodide isn't something most folks have laying around.

Says it's available over the counter. Do you know a pharmacist?

[Dan Lambskin]

Bleach and Ammonia is another fun one

....ohhh...or draino crystals, tin foil strips, and water in a 2 liter bottle...shake and run....and BOOM goes the dynamite

[steelerfan513]

This isn't necessarily a chemical reaction, but if you put just a tiny amount of water into the bottom of a soda can, put it over heat for long enough and put it upside down into a bucket/sink/etc. filled with water, the can will get crushed.

That's the best I can do.

[Guru13]

ok, I have to ask, what does bleach and ammonia do?



also, same sort of explosion thing here (dangerous), half sunscreen, half rubbing alcohol, but actually only fill the bottle half of the way up with those things, then put 5 tin foil balls in there, strike a match, drop it in, screw on the cap, shake and set it down, big boom, also, be very careful if you try this, it could go off prematurely.

[knapplc]

Sorry...most of the chemical reactions I want to do at home create fire and/or explosions...and most of the reagents I would get from work wouldn't be available in a store either.

I've done a somewhat cool one with potassium iodide, hydrogen peroxide, and soap. You need to get fairly concentrated peroxide though...not the 3% crap you get for a disinfectant. I'm talking the 30-35% variety. The one time I made the solution too strong and the stuff shot out of the cylinder pretty dang fast, hahaha. I wish I could find the pic of it that I have...don't know if I hosted it or not.

That was posted earlier in the thread and it looks totally cool. Where did you get your potassium iodide? Do you remember how much it was? This is something I'd like to do at home, but potassium iodide isn't something most folks have laying around.

Says it's available over the counter. Do you know a pharmacist?

I just went to Walgreen's and they said they can't sell it without a prescription. I don't know that I believe that - they sell it online and it doesn't look like I'd need a prescription there to get it. I guess I'll have to keep looking.