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Awe dude, Chemistry is awesome!

LeChucksterLeChuckster Registered User new member
edited August 2008 in Debate and/or Discourse
There are these pretty wicked chemistry videos, I dunno if you guys have ever seen them... you can create these neon glowing flames, burn stuff, oh and did I mention dry ice? Chemistry was always the best class in high school!

Isn't there videos on Soda and Mints or something?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3ChXba3dus
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/82-dangerous_science.html
http://chemistry.learnhub.com/lesson/video/411
http://chemistry.learnhub.com/lesson/video/416
http://chemistry.learnhub.com/lesson/video/48

2554117970_232e651e05.jpg2553304195_b1b9866025.jpg
http://photography.learnhub.com
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Posts

  • tybeettybeet Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    I tried that once by filling my cheeks with 99% isopropyl alcohol and then spraying it over a lighter.
    All I got was rot-gut and a burning sensation in my mouth.

    tybeet on
  • PeekingDuckPeekingDuck __BANNED USERS regular
    edited August 2008
    One of my experimental physics professors would do a fountain (well it was more vapor, not liquid) from his mouth with liquid nitrogen. I'm not that brave...

    PeekingDuck on
  • DoxaDoxa Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    chemistry at my high school was pretty gay. Mostly just paperwork with numbers, we did like two experiments that weren't very interesting at all.

    Anything of the nature of mixing chemicals to get a change in color or making things bubble was a far distant dream, let alone burning things and stuff.

    Doxa on
  • reminderGTOreminderGTO Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    One of my bosses accidentally blew up his fume hood. It wasn't cool when the shit blew up and I almost spilled EtBr on my hands. EtBr makes these things grow on your hands, some people call them cancerous growths.

    reminderGTO on
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  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2008
    My HS chem teacher was a bit of a pyro. On multiple occasions part of the school was evacuated because he blew something up, and he would always talk about his dream of throwing a beachball-sized hunk of sodium into a swimming pool.

    He was pretty awesome.

    ElJeffe on
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  • wwtMaskwwtMask Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    He sounds like his name is on the terrorist watch list. I wish I could say I was joking when I say that. D:

    wwtMask on
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  • tofutofu Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    My HS chem teacher was a bit of a pyro. On multiple occasions part of the school was evacuated because he blew something up, and he would always talk about his dream of throwing a beachball-sized hunk of sodium into a swimming pool.

    He was pretty awesome.
    That sounds a lot like mine too.


    Chemistry is pretty awesome.

    tofu on
  • Anarchy Rules!Anarchy Rules! Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    I didn't find chemistry particularly inspiring until my last year of A-levels. Everything before that seemed as if it was just laying down the foundations. One day it seemed as if I could see how chemistry undrpins everything and the sheer power of it. It was quite a profound moment, on the same scale as deciding to become an atheist or realising how breathtakingly amazing nature is to have evolved.

    It was such a shame that this moment occured after I had made my university choices, but a second degree perhaps?!

    Anarchy Rules! on
  • sp1ttlesp1ttle Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    In my high school there is a rumor that years back, a chemistry teacher was demonstrating the the reactivity of potassium. If you put some of it into water it would cause a reaction. Apparently he put way too much into the water, creating a loud explosion that was heard across campus. Bits of potassium were hurled into the ceiling, resulting in the persistent blotch that exists to this day.

    sp1ttle on
  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2008
    My favorite chemistry experiment was the one in which we had to "discover" the optimal ratio of hydrogen to oxygen for using electrolysis. We achieved this by making little rockets that were powered by the force of the reaction and shooting them across the room as far as we could. It was also a good lesson in optimizing trajectory.

    ElJeffe on
    I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2008
    sp1ttle wrote: »
    In my high school there is a rumor that years back, a chemistry teacher was demonstrating the the reactivity of potassium. If you put some of it into water it would cause a reaction. Apparently he put way too much into the water, creating a loud explosion that was heard across campus. Bits of potassium were hurled into the ceiling, resulting in the persistent blotch that exists to this day.

    I approve. Alkali metals + water = joy.

    ElJeffe on
    I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
  • CycloneRangerCycloneRanger Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    We always did fun things in physics more often than chemistry. Each year (usually on the last day of class) my physics teacher brought in a great bottle of liquid nitrogen and let the class just screw around with it—freezing marshmallows, flowers, touching it, etc. Touching liquid nitrogen (for brief periods of time; no need to get frostbite) is actually pretty strange. It's a liquid and clearly feels like such, but your hand is completely dry afterward. In the same class we reacted zinc with muriatic acid (HCl) to fill balloons with hydrogen gas. That was a fun time.

    I also remember the old "dry ice + two-liter soda bottle" trick from junior high school. Funny thing is, some kid did that at my college a few years ago and got himself arrested.
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    My favorite chemistry experiment was the one in which we had to "discover" the optimal ratio of hydrogen to oxygen for using electrolysis. We achieved this by making little rockets that were powered by the force of the reaction and shooting them across the room as far as we could. It was also a good lesson in optimizing trajectory.
    ...What? Electrolysis produces the optimal ratio for combustion by its very nature. I'm not sure what you were trying to do, but it sounds cool.

    CycloneRanger on
  • TavTav Irish Minister for DefenceRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    My chem teacher was directly responsible for three fires this year so we're not allowed to do experiments. :(

    Tav on
  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    I'm a fucking idiot

    Antimatter on
  • Captain UltraCaptain Ultra low resolution pictures of birds Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    The coolest thing about my HS Chemistry class was that I found out a few days ago that the teacher got busted for soliciting a prostitute.

    It wasn't that cool of a class.

    Captain Ultra on
  • MuddBuddMuddBudd Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Mine showed us sodium in water. It skittered around like crazy and then the beaker shattered :)

    That class was great.

    MuddBudd on
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  • MarathonMarathon Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Chemistry was always fun and interesting.

    Organic Chemistry is the devil and it can kiss my ass.

    Marathon on
  • Dublo7Dublo7 Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    My old science teacher used to be in the navy. He told us how he once threw a huge block of sodium over board, creating a huge explosion, which scared the shit out of several of the crew.
    He was a pretty wicked teacher.

    Dublo7 on
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  • DukiDuki Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    A chemistry teacher in my old high school blew up a seagull once with potassium.

    Duki on
  • Premier kakosPremier kakos Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2008
    Speaking of alkali metals and water, check out this fucking awesome display of awesomeness.

    Premier kakos on
  • CantidoCantido Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Stoichiometry is the hardest thing in the universe. I'd rather do calculus than this shit, holy fuck..

    Cantido on
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  • ProPatriaMoriProPatriaMori Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Christ that was a lot of fire. I thought that sodium went up in a reaction something like

    2Na + 2H_2O -> H_2 + 2NaOH + Energy

    And the H_2 combusts in the presence of atmospheric oxygen or somesuch. Doesn't H_2 usually burn clear in atmosphere?

    EDIT:
    Cantido wrote: »
    Stoichiometry is the hardest thing in the universe. I'd rather do calculus than this shit, holy fuck..
    Oh come on. All you're doing is making sure one side has the same amount of component atoms as the other. That's trivial to set up as a small system of equations and solve with matrices.

    ProPatriaMori on
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  • Dublo7Dublo7 Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Stoichiometry is easy.

    Dublo7 on
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  • tofutofu Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Cantido wrote: »
    Stoichiometry is the hardest thing in the universe. I'd rather do calculus than this shit, holy fuck..
    What the hell are you talking about? It's just algebra.

    tofu on
  • GenericFanGenericFan Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    This is easily my favorite chemistry clip, the first time I saw it i was all, dang, imagine what that would be like!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PJTq2xQiQ0

    The description says it's sulphur hexafluoride

    GenericFan on
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  • UnknownUnknown
    edited August 2008
    This content has been removed.

  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    LeChuckster wrote: »
    Isn't there videos on Soda and Mints or something?

    Mythbusters showed this one, too. It's Mentos and soda... specifically, diet soda. Something to do with the aspartame.

    We used to fill 2-liter bottles about 1/3rd full of water, pour an MRE heater pack in, seal it up, and bury it in the snow. Wait 5 minutes, have a snow crater. :P

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  • Fuzzy Cumulonimbus CloudFuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Doxa wrote: »
    chemistry at my high school was pretty gay. Mostly just paperwork with numbers, we did like two experiments that weren't very interesting at all.

    Anything of the nature of mixing chemicals to get a change in color or making things bubble was a far distant dream, let alone burning things and stuff.
    I wasn't aware paperwork was homosexual, but okay.

    Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud on
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited August 2008
    This content has been removed.

  • DoxaDoxa Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud wrote: »
    Doxa wrote: »
    chemistry at my high school was pretty gay. Mostly just paperwork with numbers, we did like two experiments that weren't very interesting at all.

    Anything of the nature of mixing chemicals to get a change in color or making things bubble was a far distant dream, let alone burning things and stuff.
    I wasn't aware paperwork was homosexual, but okay.

    you never noticed? the way it's always behind you in your backpack, banging against your backside...

    Doxa on
  • Fuzzy Cumulonimbus CloudFuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Doxa wrote: »
    Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud wrote: »
    Doxa wrote: »
    chemistry at my high school was pretty gay. Mostly just paperwork with numbers, we did like two experiments that weren't very interesting at all.

    Anything of the nature of mixing chemicals to get a change in color or making things bubble was a far distant dream, let alone burning things and stuff.
    I wasn't aware paperwork was homosexual, but okay.

    you never noticed? the way it's always behind you in your backpack, banging against your backside...
    :winky:

    Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud on
  • Bear CavalryBear Cavalry Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Ugh my HS chemistry classes were awful, it seems like such an interesting subject though. Anyway I was reading an article about Porphyrins and how they are used to make structures in supramolecular chemistry but I heard they lack a lot of value(utility?) and was wondering why this was. I'm also interested in the kinds of chemistry I would need if I were to pursue a psychiatry degree. I feel sort of slighted by having an awful chemistry teacher and want to get my revenge by learning some more about this.


    e- Read the wiki and Porphyrins are supposed be and important catalyst, but the reactions aren't very practical?

    Bear Cavalry on
  • Phoenix-DPhoenix-D Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    electricitylikesme wrote: »
    SF6 would do it. I'm not quite sure you'd want to do that with it though since it'd be potentially pretty damn toxic - it's used in reactive ion plasma etching to make electron-beam circuits.

    Why the fuck would you use SF6 and not, say, argon? At least the latter isn't outright poisonous. :P Or any heavier-than-air noble gas...

    EDIT: Bear Cavalry: They're usful as catalysts, yes. The problem is they don't catalyze anything useful, in general. Catalysts just speed things up; if the reaction itself isn't producing anything you want, they're worthless.

    Natural ones ARE quite handy, but those reactions are of limited utility; I don't know of anyone trying to mass-produce heme for example...

    Phoenix-D on
  • Shazkar ShadowstormShazkar Shadowstorm Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    sp1ttle wrote: »
    In my high school there is a rumor that years back, a chemistry teacher was demonstrating the the reactivity of potassium. If you put some of it into water it would cause a reaction. Apparently he put way too much into the water, creating a loud explosion that was heard across campus. Bits of potassium were hurled into the ceiling, resulting in the persistent blotch that exists to this day.

    I approve. Alkali metals + water = joy.

    We had a beaker explode because of that
    I guess the gas built up and then a bigger piece sparked it off
    That was dangerous but good fun

    Then there was that other stuff that exploded if there were vibrations so the teacher set it up as a trap, and when the people walked into the class and were loud it went boom

    And then there was the time my friend accidently made chlorine gas or something, that was interesting

    Shazkar Shadowstorm on
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  • UnknownUnknown
    edited August 2008
    This content has been removed.

  • GoodOmensGoodOmens Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    My HS chem teacher was a bit of a pyro.

    You misspelled "every."

    GoodOmens on
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  • ProPatriaMoriProPatriaMori Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    GoodOmens wrote: »
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    My HS chem teacher was a bit of a pyro.

    You misspelled "every."

    Some of them prefer freezing things.

    ProPatriaMori on
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  • japanjapan Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    his dream of throwing a beachball-sized hunk of sodium into a swimming pool.

    Sodium Party!

    japan on
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