Instantly Freeze Soda This works with any carbonated beverage . Take your beverage and cool it down to a temperature around 20F or -7C.Either the freezer or outside if it is cold enough. When opened it will freeze instantly. The reason: This demonstrates the principle of freezing point depression. Pure water at 1 atm will freeze at 0C or 32F. When something is dissolved in it the freezing point drops to a lower temperature. This is why when roads are salted there are puddles even though the temperature is below freezing. The more salt the lower the temperature must go before it freezes. When you open the bottle it does the opposite. The freezing point goes from (a guess) -10C to around 0C when the CO2 leaves the solution (the concentration decrease). Since the soda is at -7C it freezes instantly when the CO2 leaves the solution.
Boiling A Copper Quarter
A red hot quarter is placed in methanol. It boils the methanol, twice... Can you explain this anomaly? As it turns into a copper quarter. Not only is it a great visual chemistry
demonstration, it will make you scratch your head.
Executing the Marshmallow Man
Marshmallow Man has been convicted and has been sentenced to death by vacuum. This amazing video demonstrates what would happen to a marshmallow man in space.
The Thermite Reaction
The term "Thermite" refers to the mixture of aluminum and ferric oxide used in this experiment. It is sold commercially and is used for such applications as railroad welding and incendiary bombs.
Rust and aluminum are combined and ignited with a magnesium ribbon. Molten iron is produced and lots of energy is released. This demonstration produces heat at above 2800F or 1500C.
Fe2O3 + 2 Al --> Al2O3 + 2 Fe
Safety-This is an extremely DANGEROUS reaction and should only be done by trained professionals. Since YOU are not a trained professional DON"T try it.
Smokey Purple Volcano The reaction of Aluminum metal and Iodine creates a plume of purple Iodine while creating glowing Aluminum Iodide. A Very interesting reaction.
Alcohol Rocket Engine 5mL of methanol or ethanol is ignited in a 5 gallon water bottle. The alcohol burns at such a high rate it creates a rocket engine effect. If the mixture is just right, it can knock ceiling tiles off. It looks really amazing at night. After the burn, the bottle is capped and Charles Law is demonstrated. As the temperature decreases the volume decreases. The atmosphere crushes the cooling air in the bottle.
Vacuum Chamber Project #1 Shaving Cream Shaving cream is placed into a vacuum chamber, then the vacuum is turned on. The chemicals are arranged such that there are many pockets of air trapped inside the shaving cream. The air pockets in shaving cream will expand in a vacuum. As the pressure gradually decreases the volume of the shaving cream get bigger and eventually fills the jar. This is a great example of Boyle's Law which shows an indirect relationship between pressure and volume.
Is It Possible, Boiling Ice Water?
It all started as a students question, now I have the answer. You can boil ice water. You just need to watch the movie to see how.
Plasma from Grapes
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME it can ruin your microwave or burn down your house. Now you are going to see why it is dangerous to put grapes in the microwave.
Lightning over Long Beach
Summer 2008, a nice thunder storm I filmed.
Violating Physics
Ever see a top flip itself over. Here is a short video of my inverting spinning top. When spun the top actually will invert itself and spin on the handle. Not a magic trick.
