[rctrackstar2007]

Do any of the moderators or anyone in here have any good organic chem labs a group could do?

Or also, and more importantly, and explosive labs to do?

We are starting a chem club and would like to do many cool experiments and would like some suggestions please.

[mike]

Have you searched the forum for this info yet?

Also no one is going to give you information on explosives

[rctrackstar2007]

No i haven't checked it yet, that's first on my list. And i don't mean that kind of explosive. I mean something like a medium series of bright popping flashes or mixing several chems and getting a blowtorch effect or something. It's for our class/club at school.

[tennis freak]

hey trev dude, do you remember in Piccone's class last year she put ethanol in one of those big water jugs at offices and dropped in a match?  that was the best experiment all year but we really do need more labs that contain explosions, mild ones not ones that can blow up the school, or at least more stuff to do with fire

[rctrackstar2007]

hey trev dude, do you remember in Piccone's class last year she put ethanol in one of those big water jugs at offices and dropped in a match?  that was the best experiment all year but we really do need more labs that contain explosions, mild ones not ones that can blow up the school, or at least more stuff to do with fire

exactly! those are the types of experiments i'm looking for

[mike]

You need to be very careful when doing these types of "explosions". I know I sound like a wet blanket but there have been instances of the experiment you describe (methanol woosh) going wrong an injurying people.

Some to try include:

Flame tests (see previous post of this experiment gone wrong)
Oscillating Pt methanol explosion
Electric pickle (dangerous due to electricity)
Burning Mg
Thermite (see previous post on this, it is very dangerous)
Luminol
Catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide
dehydration of sucrose with sulfuric acid
ammonia fountain (ammonia is dangerous)

[Equi]

You need to be very careful when doing these types of "explosions". I know I sound like a wet blanket but there have been instances of the experiment you describe (methanol woosh) going wrong an injurying people.

Agree. Experiments work perfectly well, if you do them alone, but become bolloxed up in groups.

[Kenichi]

A cheap easy to do experiment would be to extract iodine crystals from the topical antiseptic iodine tincture.  Simple, and then you have I2 crystals!  And those crystals of course can be utilized for your other experiments which are more visually appealing.

[Alberto_Kravina]

ammonia fountain (ammonia is dangerous)

Not only, if the flask is too thin it may implode!!!!! .

You could try to hydrogenate olive oil (hydrogen from Kipp apparatus), I tried it , was sort of funny, only that the product was not the one that I expected...
Also, try to breath with a straw in a satured calcium hydroxide solution.
You could try to ignite hydrogen with Pt/Pd...don't know if this works at room temperature/normal pressure.

[jdurg]

Here are a few experiments which are interesting, flashy, and safe if proper procedures are followed and the amount of reactants is limited.

Reaction of acetylene and chlorine gas.

Chemicals needed:  Concentrated HCl Solution.  Calcium Hypochlorite.  Calcium Carbide.  Water.
Equipment:  Small Erlenmeyer Flask.  Two Holed Stopper.  Glass Tubing.  Separatory Funnel.  Graduated Cylinder.

1):  Get an erlenmeyer flask and in the bottom put a past of calcium hypochlorite and water.  (A thick paste works best).
2):  Place a two-holed stopper in the top of the erlenmeyer flask.  In one hole put a glass tube bent into the shape of a U.  In the other put a separatory funnel, or something else, with a valve that can be opened and shut.
3):  Take a large graduated cylinder and fill it with water.
4):  Place the opening of the U tube from the Erlenmeyer into the water near the very bottom.
5):  Slowly drip concentrated hydrochloric acid into the Ca (OCl)2 flask.  Chlorine gas will be generated and after some time will bubble through the graduated cylinder.
6):  When you start to see bubbles of gas rising through the graduated cylinder, drop small pieces of calcium carbide (CaC2) into the water.  This will generage acetylene gas.  When the Cl2 and C2H2 meet, a bright flash occurs.  You'll see the flashes and pops all the way up the cylinder as the reactants collide.

Reaction between Aluminum metal and Iodine

Chemicals:  Aluminum powder (Doesn't have to be all too fine).  Iodine Crystals (Again, they don't have to be super finely ground).  Water.
Equipment:  Open, flat surface in a WELL ventilated area.  Pippette.  Flask.

1):  Fill a flask with water and place a pippette near it.
2):  In the open area, mix together your aluminum powder and iodine crystals.  Do NOT use a lot.  Only a little bit will give GREAT results and be quite safe.  A mixture any bigger than the size of a quarter is asking for trouble.
3):  Using the pippette, drip a few drops of water onto the mixture of Al and I2.  You will soon see a vigrorous reaction and a cloud of purple smoke.  When it's all done, you'll have yourself a big mess and some aluminum iodide.   

Making Silicon From Sand

Chemicals:  Simple silica, a.k.a. "Sand".  Magnesium Powder.  10% HCl Solution.
Equipment:  Large Pyrex Test Tube.  Bunsen Burner.  Tongs.  Medium Sized Beaker.  Well Ventillated and Cleared Area.  Filter Paper.  Funnel.  Flask.

1):  In the large, heat resistant test tube mix your finely divided/ground sand and magnesium powder.  (Make sure everything is nice and dry).
2):  Using the tongs, hod the test tube inside the fire of the bunsen burner with the opening pointed AWAY from everybody and everything of importance.  This reaction is a thermite of sorts, but not nearly as energetic as the one we've all come to know.  Still, there may be some unexpected pops and flare ups.
3):  Let the reaction go for a while until you stop seeing any noticeable interaction.
4):  Allow the test tube to cool so that it can be handled.  (It now contains elemental silicon, magnesium oxide, left over magensium, and some magnesium silicide.)
5):  Take your HCl solution and put it into a large beaker.
6):  Ensure that the contents of your test tube are mobile and able to be dumped out easily.  You don't want anything sticking.
7):  Once again using the tongs, dump the contents of your test tube into the hydrochloric acid solution.  You'll see an immediate flare up and some bright flashes as the reaction occurs.  The magnesium silicide is forming silane gas which immediately ignites on exposure to air.  The magnesium is reaction with HCl to produce hydrogen gas.  All of this ignites as well as any leftover powdered magnesium.  The only thing that doesn't react is the elemental silicon which will settle to the bottom of the beaker.
:  Decant the still acidic solution off and add water to the silicon left behind.
9):  Filter this through the filter paper with PLENTY of water to ensure that all acid has been washed away.
10):  Let the silicon dry.  You have now made the element silicon from it's ore (sand).

[rctrackstar2007]

You need to be very careful when doing these types of "explosions". I know I sound like a wet blanket but there have been instances of the experiment you describe (methanol woosh) going wrong an injurying people.

Some to try include:

Flame tests (see previous post of this experiment gone wrong)
Oscillating Pt methanol explosion
Electric pickle (dangerous due to electricity)
Burning Mg
Thermite (see previous post on this, it is very dangerous)
Luminol
Catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide
dehydration of sucrose with sulfuric acid
ammonia fountain (ammonia is dangerous)

we've actually tried half of these and they were good 

and we're looking forward to trying some of these other ones you all have posted on here...thank you very much!

if people have more keep posting because we want to do a lot of experiments to get more experience in the lab, and to have fun