[billnotgatez]

http://www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Zn/chem.html

I did a Google search on zinc reactions and found this link among many.

[mafiaparty303]

cool, thanks!

[teapot5]

O wait, we got off topic!    What can one do with a strip/bar of zinc? Preferably with house hold items? Or potassium nitrate (i have some of that), or Calcium Hydroxide?

there is a chemical that is sold in just about any hardware store called Muriatic acid it has a concentration of 35% of HCl. so all you have to do is go to the store pick some up and make your hydrogen.

[mafiaparty303]

Yep yep, got a gallon of the stuff outside right now, gonna do some experiments this weekend, whats a good diluted concentration that will give me a good fiz with the zinc? the one i have right now is at 29%.

[woelen]

A good concentration is 15%. Take half a volume of the acid and half a volume of water and add zinc.

This also works nice with aluminium. Also use 15% for that. The reaction takes quite some time (several minutes) to get started, but once it is going it is become very violent. If you do this with 29% acid and aluminium, then you MUST do it outside, the reaction is really violent and lots of thick smoke of AlCl3 and HCl is emitted. Don't use Al-foil, but Al, used in construction (strips, U and L-shaped profiles, etc.).

[teapot5]

wouldn't Al cans work?

[mafiaparty303]

why not al foil?

[woelen]

Foils either don't work (because they are covered by some plastic layer), or they react way too violent.

Aluminium cans might work, but again, it depends on the coating of the aluminium.

[teapot5]

Right, I forgot about the writing on the can, you would probably have to grind/scratch it off to get to the Al.

[Borek]

Most likely sand paper will do enough damage to the coating.

[mafiaparty303]

how about running Al over the stove for a few seconds? I've done it before and I havn't smelled any plastic fumes coming off of it.

I tried the zinc + HCl yesterday pretty interesting reaction, especially the lighting a hydrogen filled balloon on fire  Even a small maybe... 4 inch in diameter gives a good shabang.... but i cant go bigger since the stupid neighbor will come and complain....he already has once.... me and my freind are trying to make a good dry rocket proplelant, KNO3 + Sugar, we are making lots of smoke obviosly and they guy comes why and says we could burn the house down, like thats not enough he has to ring the door bell and tell my mom that we are "playing" with fire, and we could burn the house down.. maybe 20 feet from my actual house in this dead garden (AKA test site  ) and we can burn the house down w/e.

[teapot5]

yes, i had the same experience and heres what you do. First you go over to his/her house and knock on the door, when they come out tell them that they where right and the "test site" location was a bad place. Then tell them that you have moved to a new and better location to bad for them the location you have chosen is as close to their house as you can get it. When the wind is blowing to the direction of their house light alot of smoke bombs and smoke them out. Knowing them they will come out and tell you to stop, tell them you will move back if they stop bitching.

it worked out well for me.

[mafiaparty303]

niccee lol

no need for that at the moment, i have set up a chemistry lab area in my garage, but i dont conduct any extreme fire experiments in there


sometimes I wish I could just live in montana or something...with a giant feild of nothing.. lots of powdered aluminium....lots of Iron oxide... mixed together.....some magnesiumm...ahhhhh chemistry/pyro heaven...if only if only

[billnotgatez]

It is usually the best policy not to irritate your neighbors. There are people who will lay in wait to really cause you grief.

For instance, when you burn something out doors, they anonymously turn it in to the Fire Company. The Fire Company arrives and asks if you have a burning permit. You do not so you get fined. Your parents sell your chemistry stuff at ridiculously low prices to pay for the fine.  Next day the EPA comes around to investigate if you are polluting the air and you have to fill out mountains of forms. The scenarios are infinite. I do not want to mention all the other federal organizations that might get involved, much less the state agencies. It is better to keep a low profile.

By the way one should read the rules and policies of this forum.

[constant thinker]

Neighbors!? My closest neighbor is at least 150 feet away, and that is only because both our houses aren't set far back from the road. Come summer I can't see their houses because of all the overgrowth.

P.S. From listening to some of my friends'/family's stories about their neighbors, it's better to not piss them off.