I've always wondered how magnetic fields could effect a chemical reaction. Let me explain further:

So lets take something that I know a tiny a bit about, like if drop a potassium log into a lake. As I understand it, it goes something like this: K + H₂O --> K_somethingO_something + H₂. For an atom to scoot over somewhere else, it has to be favorable. Favorable means to me, I'm leaving thermodynamics out of this for the sake of simplicity, that some other atom over there has a nice empty parking spot in its valence electrons. I remember from my old chem class that there's supposed to be something like 8 valence electrons. So oxygen has 2 open spots, and a hydrogen only takes one "parking space" therefore we get water.

Now, back to the original thought. These electrons have to physically move somewhere. They just tag along with their friendly parent nucleus, correct? Well something with a charge is moving. Now lets say I had a giant liquid-nitrogen cooled electromagnet, or maybe something set up as a halbach array so it could be almost mono-pole. Dump that field over a little area and let some 2 chemicals react. My question is, would having a magnetic field of about 3-4 tesla be enough to change the reaction at all? Speed it up, slow it down, prevent it from happening?

Well shucks. So much for that idea. In that case, what else could I use a freaking strong electromagnetic field for? Any fun chemistry experiments I should try?

Well shucks. So much for that idea. In that case, what else could I use a freaking strong electromagnetic field for? Any fun chemistry experiments I should try?

External magnetic field has some effect on electrodeposited thin layers of metals. But whether it is a fancy experiment I doubt

feed the frog with iron filings.

 :lamo: