Interesting chemical reaction formulas. Interesting facts about chemistry. Chemistry is all around us. Gray cardinals among plants

An amazing world is around us, a lot of interesting things surround a person, a lot of things he has no idea about, it’s enough just to remember interesting facts about chemistry and understand what a wonderful world a person lives in.

Just remember gallium and the effect of a dissolving teaspoon immediately comes to mind.. Surprisingly, at room temperature this metal is similar to aluminum. It begins to melt at 28 degrees Celsius. Scientists chemists often joke about their comrades. They give them hebbled spoons, and then see the surprise of those who come when the metal device simply begins to “melt” in a mug of freshly brewed tea.
Mercury in a thermometer remains liquid at room temperature.
Everyone knows the fact that periodic table chemical elements, Mendeleev dreamed about it in a dream. But few people know that the scientist himself, when it came to his table, always said: “I worked on it for maybe twenty years, and you think that I sat down... and it just appeared.”
Sometimes knowledge of chemistry helps to successfully fight wars. Suffice it to recall the example of a virtually unknown battle of the First World War. This battle was related to the extraction of the metal molybdenum. This metal was used in the construction of the legendary German "Big Bertha" cannon. It was used for a reason; this metal turned out to be so strong that the manufactured barrel, which was fired for several kilometers, was not deformed by the shells from overheating. The only place where molybdenum was mined was in the Colorado mine. Having learned this fact, a group from the German company Krupp, located in those places, took possession of this mine with a fight. German army was equipped with such durable metal. The Allies did not attach any importance to this skirmish, and only towards the end of the war they realized how thoughtful this strategic move was.
It is impossible to find water in its original pure form (H2O) in nature.. Water absorbs everything it encounters on its way. Thus, after drinking well water, we consume a “compote”, the composition of which no other person could replicate.
Water reacts to the world . Scientists used water from the same source in different containers. Classical music was played next to one, and the other was placed in a room with people swearing. As a result, based on the composition and structure of the water, it was possible to determine which container with liquid was located where.
A mixture of bitter, sweet and sour is exactly how you can describe the taste of grapefruit. After processing 100 liters of this juice, scientists were able to isolate mercaptan. He is a taste record holder. A person can feel the taste of such a compound already at a concentration of 0.02 ng/l. To obtain such a concentration, it is enough to dilute only 2 mg of mercaptan for a tanker of water of 100,000 tons.
An interesting process can be observed in the symbiosis of the fig tree and fig wasps that live in the fruits of this tree. A ripe berry increases the concentration of carbon dioxide by 10%. This is enough to put female wasps to sleep. The males remain active, fertilize the females and fly away, making a hole in the fruit. CO2 comes out, the awakened females fly away and take the pollen with them.
The scientific name for oxygen is dephlogisticated air..
Air is 4/5 nitrogen. If you get into a chamber with nitrogen, such chambers are found, for example, in mines, a person finds himself trapped. Nitrogen is colorless and odorless; it seems to a person that he continues to breathe, not realizing that in a few seconds he will fall dead from lack of air.
Interesting Facts found in the lives of great chemists. For example, in 1921, two young men came to the famous artist Dmitry Kustodiev and asked him to paint their portraits. Their desire was not without reason, Kustodiev painted exclusively famous people at that time, and the young men were sure that this is exactly what they would become in the future, even though they were still unknown to anyone. The artist agreed, and the payment was a bag of millet and a rooster. The young people turned out to be Nikolai Simenov and Pyotr Kapitsev, who later became great scientists and laureates Nobel Prize in physics and chemistry.
Great chemist unknown to anyone. One day, King Gustav III of Sweden visited Paris. French scientists came to him for an audience and began to admire the work of the great Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. The king was happy, but did not understand who he was talking about, and ordered Scheel to be elevated to knighthood. But the Prime Minister also did not know such a person, and by chance another Scheele, an artilleryman, was elevated to this rank. The chemist remained an unknown chemist to everyone.

Incredible facts

Chemical reactions are part of our Everyday life. Cooking in the kitchen, driving a car, these reactions are common. This list features some of the most surprising and unusual reactions that most of us have never seen.

10. Sodium and water in chlorine gas

Sodium is a highly flammable element, and adding water to it can cause an explosion. In this video we see how a drop of water is added to sodium in a flask containing chlorine gas. The distinctive yellow color of the emitted light is associated with the "work" of sodium, and is often used in the creation of street lighting systems. If we combine sodium and chlorine, we get sodium chloride, that is, ordinary table salt.

9. Reaction of magnesium and dry ice

Magnesium is flammable and burns very brightly. In this experiment, you see magnesium ignite in a shell of dry ice—frozen carbon dioxide. Magnesium can burn in carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Due to the bright light it was used as a flash in the early days of photography, it is still used in marine rockets and fireworks today.

8. Reaction of Berthollet salt and sweets

Potassium chlorate is a compound of potassium, chlorine and oxygen. It is often used as a disinfectant and in fireworks and explosives. When potassium chlorate is heated to its melting point, any object that comes into contact with it at this point will cause the chlorate to decompose, resulting in an explosion. The gas released after the decay is oxygen. Because of this, it is often used in aircraft, space stations and submarines as a source of oxygen. The fire at the Mir station was also associated with this substance.

7. Meissner effect

When a superconductor is cooled below its transition temperature, it becomes diamagnetic: that is, an object is repelled from magnetic field, rather than being attracted to it. This discovery by Meissner led to the emergence of the concept of “vehicle friction,” that is, an object “floats” on rails rather than being “tied” to them by its wheels.

6. Oversaturation with sodium acetate

Sodium acetate in water becomes supersaturated when heated or cooled. When it comes into contact with another object, it re-crystallizes. This reaction also produces heat, so it has no practical application in thermal pads. Sodium acetate is also used as a preservative and gives the chips their unique taste. In the food industry it is known as E262 or sodium diacetate.

5. Superabsorbent polymers

Also known as hydrogel, they are capable of absorbing very large amounts of liquid relative to their own weight. For this reason they are used in industrial production diapers, as well as in other areas where protection from water and other liquids is required, such as the construction of underground cables.

4. Floating sulfur hexafluoride

Sulfur hexafluoride is a colorless, non-toxic and non-flammable gas that has no odor. Since it is 5 times denser than air, it can be poured into containers, and light objects immersed in it will float as if in water. Another funny, absolutely harmless feature of using this gas: it sharply lowers the voice, that is, the effect is exactly the opposite compared to the effect of helium. The effect can be seen here:

3. Superfluid helium

When helium cools to -271 degrees Celsius, it reaches the lambda point. At this stage (in liquid form) it is known as helium II and is superfluid. When it passes through the finest capillaries, it is impossible to measure its viscosity. In addition, it will "crawl" upward in search of a warm area, seemingly freed from the effects of gravity. Incredible!

2. Thermite and liquid nitrogen

Thermite is an aluminum powder and metal oxide that produces an aluminothermic reaction known as the thermite reaction. It is not explosive, but can result in very high temperature flashes. Some types of detonators “begin” with a thermite reaction, and combustion occurs at a temperature of several thousand degrees. In the presented clip we see attempts to “cool” the thermite reaction using liquid nitrogen.

1. Briggs–Rauscher reaction

This reaction is known as an oscillating chemical reaction. According to information from Wikipedia: “a freshly prepared colorless solution slowly acquires an amber color, then sharply becomes dark blue, then slowly becomes colorless again; the process is repeated in a circle several times, eventually stopping at a dark blue color, and the liquid itself smells strongly of iodine ". The reason is that during the first reaction certain substances are produced, which in turn provoke a second reaction, and the process is repeated until exhaustion.

Who loved at school laboratory works in chemistry? It was interesting, after all, to mix something with something and get a new substance. True, it didn’t always work out as described in the textbook, but no one suffered because of this, right? The main thing is that something happens, and we see it right in front of us.

If in real life If you are not a chemist and do not encounter much more complex experiments every day at work, then these experiments, which can be done at home, will definitely amuse you, at least.

Lava lamp

For the experience you need:
— Transparent bottle or vase
— Water
- Sunflower oil
- Food coloring
— Several effervescent tablets “Suprastin”

Mix water with food coloring and add sunflower oil. There is no need to stir, and you won’t be able to. When a clear line between water and oil is visible, throw a couple of Suprastin tablets into the container. We look at the lava flows.

Since the density of oil is lower than that of water, it remains on the surface, with the effervescent tablet creating bubbles that carry water to the surface.

Elephant toothpaste

For the experience you need:
- Bottle
— Small cup
— Water
— Dish detergent or liquid soap
- Hydrogen peroxide
— Fast-acting nutritional yeast
- Food coloring

Mix liquid soap, hydrogen peroxide and food coloring in a bottle. In a separate cup, dilute the yeast with water and pour the resulting mixture into the bottle. We look at the eruption.

Yeast produces oxygen, which reacts with hydrogen and is pushed out. The soap suds create a dense mass that erupts from the bottle.

Hot Ice

For the experience you need:
— Capacity for heating
— Transparent glass cup
- Plate
– 200 g baking soda
— 200 ml of acetic acid or 150 ml of its concentrate
— Crystallized salt

Mix acetic acid and baking soda in a saucepan and wait until the mixture stops sizzling. Turn on the stove and evaporate excess moisture until an oily film appears on the surface. Pour the resulting solution into a clean container and cool to room temperature. Then add a crystal of soda and watch how the water “freezes” and the container becomes hot.

Heated and mixed, vinegar and soda form sodium acetate, which when melted becomes an aqueous solution of sodium acetate. When salt is added to it, it begins to crystallize and generate heat.

Rainbow in milk

For the experience you need:
- Milk
- Plate
— Liquid food coloring in several colors
— Cotton swab
— Detergent

Pour milk into a plate, drip dyes in several places. Wet it cotton swab in detergent, put it in a plate with milk. Let's look at the rainbow.

The liquid part contains a suspension of fat droplets, which, in contact with the detergent, split and rush from the inserted stick in all directions. A regular circle is formed due to surface tension.

Smoke without fire

For the experience you need:
— Hydroperite
— Analgin
— Mortar and pestle (can be replaced with a ceramic cup and spoon)

It is better to do the experiment in a well-ventilated area.
Grind the hydroperite tablets to powder, do the same with analgin. Mix the resulting powders, wait a little, see what happens.

During the reaction, hydrogen sulfide, water and oxygen are formed. This leads to partial hydrolysis with the elimination of methylamine, which interacts with hydrogen sulfide, the suspension of its small crystals resembling smoke.

Pharaoh snake

For the experience you need:
- Calcium gluconate
- Dry fuel
— Matches or lighter

Place several tablets of calcium gluconate on dry fuel and set it on fire. We look at the snakes.

Calcium gluconate decomposes when heated, which leads to an increase in the volume of the mixture.

Non-Newtonian fluid

For the experience you need:

— Mixing bowl
- 200 g corn starch
- 400 ml water

Gradually add water to the starch and stir. Try to make the mixture homogeneous. Now try to roll a ball from the resulting mass and hold it.

The so-called non-Newtonian fluid during rapid interaction behaves like solid, and when slow - like liquid.

Chemical reactions are part of our daily life. Cooking in the kitchen, driving a car, these reactions are common. This list features some of the most surprising and unusual reactions that most of us have never seen.

10. Sodium and water in chlorine gas

Sodium is a very flammable element. In this video we see how a drop of water is added to sodium in a flask containing chlorine gas. Yellow color is the work of sodium. If we combine sodium and chlorine, we get sodium chloride, that is, ordinary table salt.

9. Reaction of magnesium and dry ice

8. Reaction bertholet salt and sweets

Potassium chlorate is a compound of potassium, chlorine and oxygen. When potassium chlorate is heated to its melting point, any object that comes into contact with it at this point will cause the chlorate to decompose, resulting in an explosion. The gas released after the decay is oxygen. Because of this, it is often used in aircraft, space stations and submarines as a source of oxygen. The fire at the Mir station was also associated with this substance.

7. Meissner effect

When a superconductor is cooled below its transition temperature, it becomes diamagnetic: that is, an object is repelled by a magnetic field rather than attracted to it.

6. Oversaturation with sodium acetate

Yes, yes, this is the legendary sodium acetate. I think everyone has already heard about " liquid ice". Well, there’s nothing more to add)

5. Superabsorbent polymers

Also known as hydrogel, they are capable of absorbing very large amounts of liquid relative to their own weight. For this reason, they are used in the diaper industry, as well as in other applications where protection from water and other liquids is required, such as the construction of underground cables.

4. Floating sulfur hexafluoride

3. Superfluid helium

2. Thermite and liquid nitrogen

No, this video will not involve watering termites with liquid nitrogen.

1. Briggs-Rauscher reaction

More interesting:

If you think that chemistry is a very boring science, then I advise you to look further at 7 very interesting and unusual chemical reactions that will definitely surprise you. Perhaps the gifs in the continuation of the post will be able to convince you, and you will stop thinking that chemistry is boring;) Let's look further.

Hypnotizing Bromic Acid

According to science, the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction is an “oscillatory chemical reaction” during which “transition group metal ions catalyze the oxidation of various, usually organic, reducing agents with bromic acid in an acidic aqueous medium,” which allows “the formation of complex spatio-temporal structures to be observed with the naked eye.” structures." This scientific explanation a hypnotic phenomenon that occurs when you throw a little bromine into an acidic solution.

The acid turns the bromine into a chemical called bromide (which takes on a completely different color), and the bromide quickly turns back into bromine because the science elves living inside it are stubborn assholes. The reaction repeats over and over again, allowing you to endlessly watch the movement of incredible wave-like structures.

Transparent chemicals instantly turn black

Question: What happens if you mix sodium sulfite, citric acid and sodium iodide?
The correct answer is below:

When you mix the above ingredients in certain proportions, the end result is a capricious liquid that starts out clear in color and then suddenly turns black. This experiment is called the Iodine Clock. Simply put, this reaction occurs when specific components combine in such a way that their concentration gradually changes. If it reaches a certain threshold, the liquid turns black.
But that is not all. By changing the proportion of ingredients, you have the opportunity to get the opposite reaction:

In addition, using various substances and formulas (for example, as an option - the Briggs-Rauscher reaction), you can create a schizophrenic mixture that will constantly change its color from yellow to blue.

Creating plasma in the microwave

Do you want to do something fun with your friend, but you don't have access to a bunch of obscure chemicals or the basic knowledge needed to mix them safely? Don't despair! All you need for this experiment are grapes, a knife, a glass and a microwave. So, take a grape and cut it in half. Divide one of the pieces into two parts again with a knife so that these quarters remain connected by the peel. Place them in the microwave and cover with an upside down glass, turn on the oven. Then step back and watch as the aliens steal the cut berry.

In fact, what is happening before your eyes is one of the ways to create a very small amount of plasma. Since school, you know that there are three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. Plasma is essentially the fourth type and is an ionized gas obtained by superheating ordinary gas. Grape juice turns out to be rich in ions, and therefore is one of the best and most affordable means for conducting simple scientific experiments.

However, be careful when trying to create a plasma in the microwave, as the ozone that forms inside the glass can be toxic in large quantities!

Lighting an extinguished candle through a trail of smoke

You can try this trick at home without the risk of exploding your living room or the entire house. Light a candle. Blow it out and immediately bring the fire to the smoke trail. Congratulations: you did it, now you are a true master of fire.

It turns out that there is some kind of love between fire and candle wax. And this feeling is much stronger than you think. It doesn’t matter what state the wax is in - liquid, solid, gaseous - the fire will still find it, overtake it and burn it to hell.

Crystals that glow when crushed

Here is a chemical called europium tetrakis, which exhibits the effect of triboluminescence. However, it is better to see once than to read a hundred times.

This effect occurs when crystalline bodies are destroyed due to the conversion of kinetic energy directly into light.

If you want to see all this with your own eyes, but you don’t have europium tetrakis on hand, it doesn’t matter: even the most ordinary sugar will do. Just sit in a dark room, put a few sugar cubes in a blender and enjoy the beauty of fireworks.

Back in the 18th century, when many people thought that scientific phenomena were caused by ghosts or witches or ghosts of witches, scientists used this effect to make fun of “mere mortals” by chewing sugar in the dark and laughing at those who fled from them like fire .

Hellish monster emerging from a volcano

Mercury(II) thiocyanate is a seemingly innocent white powder, but once you set it on fire, it immediately turns into a mythical monster, ready to devour you and the whole world.

The second reaction, pictured below, is caused by the combustion of ammonium dichromate, resulting in the formation of a miniature volcano.

Well, what happens if you mix the two above-mentioned chemicals and set them on fire? See for yourself.

However, do not try these experiments at home, as both mercury(II) thiocyanate and ammonium dichromate are highly toxic and can cause serious harm to your health if burned. Take care of yourself!

Laminar flow

If you mix coffee with milk, you will end up with a liquid that you are unlikely to ever be able to separate into its constituent components again. And this applies to all substances that are in a liquid state, right? Right. But there is such a thing as laminar flow. To see this magic in action, just place a few drops of multi-colored dyes in a transparent container with corn syrup and mix everything carefully...

... and then mix again at the same pace, but now in the opposite direction.

Laminar flow can occur under any conditions and using different types of fluids, but in this case This unusual phenomenon is due to the viscous properties of corn syrup, which, when mixed with dyes, forms multi-colored layers. So, if you just as carefully and slowly perform the action in the opposite direction, everything will return to its original place. It's like traveling back in time!