HOME |
RSS | 
Email a copy of 'Top 10 Mad Science-Worthy Chemistry Experiments' to a friend
Loading ...
GeneBunny
I put a grape in the microwave once when I was a kid. It turned into a raisin. I didn’t know it could be dangerous.
I thought it was really interesting, though, because grapes in the oven just got warm.
nifrek
Crazy. Maybe someone should create an engine that uses gummy bears as fuel. Could be the fuel of the future, definitely.
pwscott
The grape video was the only one I hadn’t seen before. That was to freaky. It just proves you never know what you’re going to screw up with a simple cut.
Timothy Johnson
Definitely did or was present for most of these in high school. Spent a LOT of time perfecting an elephant’s toothpaste in the school colors. Can’t really recommend the mercury one, though. Not because it’s necessarily dangerous, but because it’s potentially dangerous. Also, add the thermite reaction to this. Great lessons there on thermochemistry, especially what an exothermic reaction is
Oh,and not to nitpick, but none of these are inherently experiments unless you are comparing different ways of accomplishing them. They’re better classified as demonstrations of chemistry principles. And as cool as ferrofluids are, what do they teach in a chem class? Also, I’d classify the grape in the microwave is a physics demo, not a chem one.
ey.look.TURKEYS
Be careful with the elephant’s toothpaste – it looks harmless, but it’s actually thousands of degrees hot.
nihil
I know the video the the dry ice is labeled ‘magnesium’ on the start of the clip but I think the gentleman is saying MANGAnese.
LisaL
Very cool clips. Had no idea grapes could do that in a microwave. Scary O_O
Robert
Fire does necessarily need oxygen to burn since it is, by definition, an oxidation reaction. The magnesium just happens to burn hot enough and have an oxide stable enough to pull the oxygen out of CO2. Great vids though, they remind me of high school and college.
NeonCat
@ Nihil
I heard ‘manganese’, too, but later in the clip the Prof definitely says magnesium. Maybe they tried manganese first and when it didn’t work, switched to magnesium?
ByrdBrain
I love the “scientific” expalanations for these tricks. This shit is magic- pure and simple. Get over it.
heather
SCIENCE! >:D
heh
I was hypnotized by the mercury video. Very cool. I feel so smart now.
Jovenel
It’s a matter of time that can dictate how we appreciate little things in life….
Dee
@Nihil and Neoncat:
The professors does say Mn, but they’re Mg shavings; the University of Minnesota has a nice description of this presentation (the formation of MgO is so stable that it will take oxygen from CO2 to complete the oxidation) – http://www.chem.umn.edu/services/lecturedemo/info/Magnesium_and_dry_ic e.html
Bree
ftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftft ftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftft ftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftft ftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftft ftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftft ftftftftftftyk
Ivo da C.Souza
Excellent Web site. Chemistry is fascinating, but I did not appreciate it as a student. It depends on the methodology that the teacher uses. It can be also boring!
