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Offline HSElementWiz

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Question
« on: October 19, 2008, 08:47:25 PM »
How can I distinguish the chemical make up of materials such as a plastic bottle and its ashes.
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Offline Mitch

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Re: Question
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2008, 09:15:03 PM »
Ash is mostly carbon, and a plastic bottle is mostly hydrocarbons.
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Offline HSElementWiz

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Re: Question
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2008, 09:20:11 PM »
Well im doing this project where one object im using is a plastic water bottle. Then i measure it and burn it then measure again then i find out what molecules were  lost and i can tell the weight and the amount of stuff released into the air. How would I be able to do that like find the chemical composition of the ashs mainly since u cant even see them.
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Offline Mitch

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Re: Question
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2008, 09:24:15 PM »
Are you familiar with combustion equations?
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Offline HSElementWiz

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Re: Question
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2008, 09:29:38 PM »
No but can you give me the basics and then i can go to my chem teacher and he'll go through the more technical aspects of it.
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Offline Mitch

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Re: Question
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2008, 10:19:10 PM »
The combustion of methane is CH4 + 2O2  :rarrow: CO2 + 2H2O

Meaning that for a plastic, which is also composed of hydrogen & carbon, it should all end up turning into gases. But, since this reaction isn't 100% efficient, you end up also making carbon as a side product.
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Offline HSElementWiz

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Re: Question
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2008, 10:30:32 PM »
Okaii so help me with this. Im using a butane lighter and burning plastic how would that equation look like.
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Offline Mitch

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Re: Question
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2008, 10:42:38 PM »
That would depend on what the plastic is, of course.
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Offline HSElementWiz

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Re: Question
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2008, 10:54:35 PM »
poland spring water bottle plastic
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Offline Mitch

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Re: Question
« Reply #9 on: October 19, 2008, 10:56:07 PM »
That doesn't help at all, take it to your teacher and ask him.
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Offline HSElementWiz

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Re: Question
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2008, 10:57:28 PM »
okay but thats mucho helped alot
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Offline HSElementWiz

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Re: Question
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2008, 12:12:38 PM »
Use  hydrogen and carbon as plastic or w.e formula you want to use for it + butane+oxygen :rarrow: (final prduct)

And can you help me out to find out how to solve the equation.
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