[Joeyups7]

So I mixed Magnesium Sulfate and Acetic acid and let it sit over night. Now there are a bunch of long clear glass looking crystals.. What is this?

I also dumped the remaining liquid in a warm pan and it produced white powdery chunks. Also what is this?

Thanks hope to hear something soon!

[billnotgatez]

Please read forum rules
Also are you in high school taking chemistry or just doing this at home

[Arkcon]

OK, let's try to look at this.  You have magnesium sulfate and acetic acid -- or if you're working at home, epsom salts and vinegar.  Potato ... pahtahto.  Can you express those chemically?  How did you treat the mixture after you mixed them?

[billnotgatez]

My previous post was to ascertain if you have someone like your high school chemistry teacher working with you on your projects.
Just mixing common household chemicals together arbitrarily is not always safe.
Do you have an understanding of safety when working with chemicals.
Do you have sufficient safety equipment when working with chemicals

In this case, you might have some inkling of what is happening but you did not state so - Which gives the appearance that you did not read forum rules

I support citizen science -- but you have to work with us and we want to make sure you are safe
 

[Joeyups7]

Yes I have put this post in the wrong place.. Sorry. I don't go on forums much.. Ill learn soon. Im always safe and have gloves, tyvek suit, and eye protection.. How can I move this to the proper place?

[billnotgatez]

Your post has been moved to the proper place by the moderators.
Let us know if you do not think this is correct.
We are assuming you are doing this on your own.

As Arkcon suggested
Do you know the formula for the compounds you originally started with.
Do you have enough understanding to write an equation of the reaction you think you had.
Do you think that this reaction is favored.

A lot of what chemist do is to read information already available
and then make hypothesis based on the reading
Then they might do experiments to prove the hypothesis

Here are some reading sources you might look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_acid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium_sulfate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium_acetate

We suggest that you freely use GOOGLE and the WIKI
so that you can pose your questions better
This also lets us help you in areas where you might be having problems
the shotgun method of asking questions is not appreciated
As the forum rules states - you must do some work - we do not just spoon feed

[Joeyups7]

Ah! Thank you. Ill do some research and learn how to write the equations and such.
I only have basic chemistry knowledge from high school.
Other than that I just like science and learning new things.

[billnotgatez]

@Joeyups7
I am having a hard time writing a balanced equation for

CH₃COOH + MgSO₄

I am not sure you will have better luck

Notice that one of the standard reactions from WIKI
2CH₃COOH + Mg(OH)₂  (CH₃COO)₂Mg + 2H₂O
uses Magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) instead of Epsom salt

You notice that one is hydroxide (base) and one is a salt
Maybe we should understand the difference in reactivity of bases, acids and salts when contemplating reactions.
What do you think?
This calls into question your idea in the original post

 

[vmelkon]

The equation would be
2 CH3COOH + MgSO4 -> (CH3COO)2Mg + H2SO4
but since all the components are dissolved in water, it would be more like
2 CH3COOH + MgSO4 -> 2 CH3COO- + Mg(2+) + HSO4- + H+

which doesn't make sense because the H+ will likely (high probability) join up with the acetate ions.
In other words, mixing CH3COOH and MgSO4 doesn't do anything.

You should read about strong acid and weak acids, pKa and pKb from a textbook.