[randommscience117]

So in Chemistry we are doing a double replacement lab where we basically mix two chemicals to see what happens. Below I have included a list of the Chemicals. What I want to know (for the interest of the lab) is which two (or even two paris of two) have the most violent chemical reactions, and what ones will give the most (or at least slightly) interesting reaction? (We get to pick around 6 pairs of two for the lab) Thanks!

Fe(NO₃)₃
Ca(NO₃)₃
Na₂CO₃
NiSO₄
Ba(NO₃)₃
H₂O₂
Zn(NO₃)₂
KCl
NaCl
MgSO₄
FeCl₃
K(SCN)
NH₄OH
PbCl₂
KI
NaOH
NaI
K₂(Cr₂O₇)
FeSO₄
K₂(C₂O₄)
K₂(SO₄)
AgNO₃
Sr(NO₃)₂
Mg(NO₃)₂
HCl
Zn(SO₄)
H(C₂H₃O₂)

I know that acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide do not like to mix, but why? I know the iron (III) chloride will combine with the potassium thiocyanate to form “blood”. Other than those two, I don’t know what else interesting could happen.

[Arkcon]

To help you begin to break this problem down into manageable chunks, build a 28 x 28 grid and populate it with the reagents by rows and columns.  You can shade out the diagonal row where they meet each other.  You realize you're asking 756 individual reactions -- right?  That's a lot for us to work on.  See if as you do a few, you learn some patterns to help you guess.  Although ultimately, you will have to do them one by one to understand them.

[randommscience117]

First of all there are only 378 combinations (since A+B is the same as B+A), so it is a lot more manageable. I am not asking someone to solve every one of these combinations, because that is overkill. I am looking for people that recognize two chemicals as ones that react interestingly with each other.

I have 3 of the six I want to do already: Hydrogen peroxide + iron (II) sulfate which reduces the peroxide (formation of gases), Sodium Chloride + Silver nitrate to form silver chloride (precipitate formed), and Iron (III) chloride + potassium thiocyanate to make the theatrical "blood" (color change).

The five common signs of a chemical reaction are: production of gases, change in color, change in odor, precipitate formation, and the release of energy (sound, light, heat, etc). To make this lab worthwhile, I would like to have at least one of each. For the odor, a sulfur containing compound would be a good start, correct?

If I decide to go too far on this I will solve each one of the 378 reactions to find out if they react in the first place, and then their products and so on.

[Arkcon]

I knew I got the numbers wrong.  Srry 'bout that.  OK, you have 3 "special effects" and you want two more -- an odor, and some sort of energy release.  For an odor, look at the compounds, each soluble one ionizes in solution.  Question:  Can you get an odor from the cation, the metal?  You've got a good idea with the sulfur as a source of odor, but sulfate doesn't have an odor, you'll have to do something other than a double replacement.  The release of significant light or sound or other energetic reaction, from an aqueous solution of inorganics, is going to be a tough one.  But you realize, you'll need something other than a double replacement.

[Borek]

Try a combination of lead cation with iodide. Or silver with chloride - just leave it in the strong light.

[amorale]

Sorry to ask a question a little out of topic, but where are you getting all those chemicals from?
I know is from some sort of lab, but omg my school chem labs, they don't let us play with this many chemicals, I would love to be able to make those 300+ reactions if I could lol.