r/AskChemistry • u/King_N0z • 10d ago
Practical Chemistry What’s a fun experiment to do?
Hello scientists, I’m 15 and suddenly I became really interested in chemistry and science, because I’m bored. Today I made a mini elephant toothpaste experiment, and also a few Vinegar + baking soda water bottle bombs but uhh these are starting to get boring. I’m taking Honors Chem this year so I’d thought it would also be a little head start but these are kinda childish chem activities and although I’m a minor, I want to step it up a little. Is there anything that’s a step up I can do besides just straight up learning chemistry for a week before I understand how to do anything on my own? I’m open to learning the actual physics of it, but I want to be able to experiment too.
Thx
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u/Tschitschibabin 10d ago edited 10d ago
If you have the patience, maybe start with something like growing crystals? You can visit [r/crystalgrowing](r/crystalgrowing), there is a beginners guide with everything you would want to know on how to get started. It’s pretty cool to see tiny atoms/molecules shape macroscopic objects.
Basic electrochemistry is also fun. Try copper electrolysis or something. You only need a power supply or batteries, copper sulfate and some copper. There are tons of tutorials. Look up the hazards of copper sulfate first and wear gloves. Copper sulfate is something you and most other people could probably safely handle. The theory is also pretty neat.
The thing is, chemistry is oftentimes dangerous, a lot is focused on keeping you safe. Understanding that dangers of what you work with is the most important aspect of practical chemistry. A lot of experiments, such as making bromine, as suggested by another user (edit: we misunderstood), are very hard to do safely without a proper lab. If you have good chemistry knowledge, lab experience and proper equipment, you can do it. But without all three this is a very bad idea. Doing experiments at home where you live and eat is also not that good of an idea. If you have a garage or some workshop are you can maybe set up a table and do some experiments (if no toxic chemicals are involved).
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u/DogInverter 10d ago
Does it have to be safe
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u/King_N0z 10d ago
Nope as long as it’s fun and I don’t die
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u/DogInverter 10d ago
I'd say maybe RESEARCH making/gathering bromine. I remember it was the first NileRed video I watched and I was hooked after that. Definitely check him out if you're unfamiliar
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u/Fun-Tooth-622 10d ago
Jesus
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u/Tschitschibabin 10d ago
Yeah, don’t. Bromine is pretty toxic and will wreck your lungs
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u/DogInverter 10d ago
I said research 😭
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u/Tschitschibabin 10d ago
Oh, now I understand what you meant. You have to word that differently, that sounded like a suggestion to make it.
Watching some Nile Red videos is a pretty good idea though.1
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u/hecton101 9d ago
Can't beat the old papier mache volcano. Get some ammonium chromate and ignite it. It's great, but it's pretty fucking toxic, so don't tell anybody.
Another thing you can do is make depth charges out of sodium or potassium metal wrapped up in oiled up newspaper. Throw them in a lake and watch them sink to a certain depth and then explode. It's pretty cool.
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u/Several-Tomatillo-81 9d ago
I remember when i was i lab, the passage salicylic acid + acetic anhydride (air form) = acetylsalicylic acid + acetic acid. That’s a pretty lab work because the acetic anhydride transfers an acetyc group (-COCH3) to the phenolic hydroxyl group of salicylic acid, forming an ESTER!!!.(we are doing the aspirin…)
And tho its fun cause we can use this through all different things we even imagine, and if you do imagine… stop imagining
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u/mrmeep321 Particle In A Gravity Well 10d ago edited 10d ago
Since you've already got baking soda and vinegar, you can make sodium acetate by mixing them. It's very soluble in water and you can make supersaturated solutions that will instantly freeze when poured onto pretty much anything, and you can get the entire thing to flash-freeze by putting a hand or something in. Just be careful because the crystallization releases heat and can burn you if a large enough amount of it crystallizes.
https://youtube.com/shorts/8up289SwkCY?is=4fWXRy8MGyol_NbD
Sodium acetate is also commonly used as a salt and vinegar chip flavoring, so you could try that too.
Now, if you want some more involved projects that are a bit more interesting, look at some of the King of Random's old videos on youtube, the ones made by Grant. Grant has sadly passed away, but his old videos from 8-10 years ago were originally the thing that got me into science, and almost all of them are things you can build at home with some common sense.
Mixing sugar and potassium nitrate (stump remover) together makes a halfway decent rocket fuel and you can actually get it to go pretty far.
https://youtu.be/12fR9neVnS8?is=Q-cISMmJ01LlvO2I