Does Anyone Know Where I Can Buy ....

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Does Anyone Know Where I Can Buy ...., some dilute sulphuric acid?

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zoda	Jan 4 2007, 08:50 PM Post #1
Unregistered	just a little bottle - I want to show the children a simple experiment and I think this would speed it up a bit. I feel a bit guilty starting a thread just for this one question - if anyone else is searching for bits and bobs, odds and sods, feel free to use this thread and post below (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

anacrusis	Jan 4 2007, 08:57 PM Post #2
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 5229 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Edinburgh, Scotland Member No.: 4852	Phew, at first I thought somebody had been making caustic remarks again! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Many apologies for replying when I don't have an answer - but what experiment is it you need to do? Could you use domestic vinegar instead?

notmusimum	Jan 4 2007, 09:01 PM Post #3
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 8326 Joined: 23-January 06 Member No.: 5959	QUOTE(anacrusis @ Jan 4 2007, 08:57 PM) Phew, at first I thought somebody had been making caustic remarks again! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Many apologies for replying when I don't have an answer - but what experiment is it you need to do? Could you use domestic vinegar instead? What about Stop bath, the thing photographers used to use in between devloping and fixing B&W photos. Don't know if it would work for what you want but it is stronger than vinegar.

zoda	Jan 5 2007, 12:12 AM Post #4
Unregistered	thanks, notmusicmum, I'll try the photography link (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) anacrusis (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) I want to do that experiment where you turn water into hydrogen and oxygen. Not sure if vinegar would work - I tried to ionise the water with a pinch of salt and didn't get any oxygen (someone told me the oxygen nabbed electrons from the chlorine ions and displaced them as chlorine gas, which then got re-dissolved in the water.) I'm not sure ethanoic acid (is that what vinegar is?) is powerful enough to displace oxygen. sorry for buzzing off earlier after posting (and again now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) - I'll check in again tomorrow )

anacrusis	Jan 5 2007, 12:53 AM Post #5
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 5229 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Edinburgh, Scotland Member No.: 4852	It's so long since I did chemistry....I can only remember the wonderful explosion which resulted when a science teacher bubbled two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen into a washing-up bowl full of soapy water some thirty years ago when I was at primary school, and then ignited the result (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) . The technician came running in a complete panic, poor fellow, to see what on earth had happened. Sadly though this is the reverse of what you're trying to do. I'm afraid my ventures into amateur chemistry with the kids have been limited to making a volcano out of clay and filling the crater with red food colouring, bicarb and vinegar... Vinegar is a pretty weak acid, right enough.

ianporsche	Jan 5 2007, 07:00 AM Post #6
Prodigy Group: Members Posts: 1175 Joined: 13-May 05 Member No.: 3666	Any car parts shop should sell sulfuric acid (as battery acid) except possibly halfords who only sell stereos and snow chains.

TSax	Jan 5 2007, 09:28 AM Post #7
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 2615 Joined: 14-December 05 From: London Member No.: 5567	Do you have these instructions (or similar) already? http://www.chemsoc.org/networks/learnnet/v...olysiswater.pdf

sonataform	Jan 5 2007, 10:13 AM Post #8
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 637 Joined: 1-November 06 From: Argyll, Scotland Member No.: 8133	QUOTE(ianporsche @ Jan 5 2007, 07:00 AM) Any car parts shop should sell sulfuric acid (as battery acid) except possibly halfords who only sell stereos and snow chains. Eh? When I ran a car parts shop we only sold battery acid in batteries.

ianporsche	Jan 5 2007, 10:18 AM Post #9
Prodigy Group: Members Posts: 1175 Joined: 13-May 05 Member No.: 3666	Really ?

fsharpminor	Jan 5 2007, 10:57 AM Post #10
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 12227 Joined: 7-June 06 From: Wirral (originally Keighley, Yorks) Member No.: 7089	QUOTE(ianporsche @ Jan 5 2007, 10:18 AM) Really ? I am a graduate chemist , and have worked in the industry all my life. The only feasible way of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen is by electrolysis. You really need special equipment, for hevans sake dont connect the mains to it ! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) You can dissolve a reactive metal such as zinc into a dilute acid like hydrochloric or dilute sulphuric, and you will get hydrogen coming off, but you wont get any oxygen that way, you end up with the hydrogen and zinc chloride/sulphate solution depending on the acid.

ianporsche	Jan 5 2007, 12:36 PM Post #11
Prodigy Group: Members Posts: 1175 Joined: 13-May 05 Member No.: 3666	QUOTE(anacrusis @ Jan 4 2007, 08:57 PM) Phew, at first I thought somebody had been making caustic remarks again! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Many apologies for replying when I don't have an answer - but what experiment is it you need to do? Could you use domestic vinegar instead? Vitriolic remarks would be more likely ! (vitriol is another name for sulfuric acid whereas caustic refers to sodium hydroxide). Photographic stop bath is a dilute solution of acetic acid so would be the same as vinegar. Please don't electrolyse solutions containing salt as you will get chlorine gas coming off and you don't want to poison the children ! I agree with fsharpminor- electrolysis of water is quite tricky and you need the correct equipment. The zinc in acid would be an easier experiment to perform as you'd only need some acid, a beaker and a test tube.

hazel	Jan 5 2007, 01:03 PM Post #12
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 683 Joined: 14-March 06 From: Midlands Member No.: 6445	QUOTE(anacrusis @ Jan 5 2007, 12:53 AM) It's so long since I did chemistry....I can only remember the wonderful explosion which resulted when a science teacher bubbled two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen into a washing-up bowl full of soapy water some thirty years ago when I was at primary school, and then ignited the result :lol: :lol: :lol: . The technician came running in a complete panic, poor fellow, to see what on earth had happened. Sadly though this is the reverse of what you're trying to do. I'm afraid my ventures into amateur chemistry with the kids have been limited to making a volcano out of clay and filling the crater with red food colouring, bicarb and vinegar... Vinegar is a pretty weak acid, right enough. Ooh, we did the volcano thing last week (7 yr old got Chem set for Xmas!). Warming the vinegar slightly in the microwave seemed to speed it up a bit :D Zoda - do you know anyone who works in a secondary school? They might be able to get you a bit from the Chem lab. Hazel

sonataform	Jan 5 2007, 05:39 PM Post #13
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 637 Joined: 1-November 06 From: Argyll, Scotland Member No.: 8133	QUOTE(ianporsche @ Jan 5 2007, 10:18 AM) Really ? Well, it wasn't my department, but I'm pretty sure we didn't sell it across the counter, and DEFINITELY not mail order (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

anacrusis	Jan 6 2007, 12:49 AM Post #14
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 5229 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Edinburgh, Scotland Member No.: 4852	QUOTE(ianporsche @ Jan 5 2007, 12:36 PM) QUOTE(anacrusis @ Jan 4 2007, 08:57 PM) Phew, at first I thought somebody had been making caustic remarks again! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Many apologies for replying when I don't have an answer - but what experiment is it you need to do? Could you use domestic vinegar instead? Vitriolic remarks would be more likely ! (vitriol is another name for sulfuric acid whereas caustic refers to sodium hydroxide). Yes, I know. You'd need the vitriol to neutralise the caustic, surely? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

YetAnotherPianist	Jan 6 2007, 12:58 AM Post #15
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 6692 Joined: 18-January 05 From: Sofa; occasionally, piano stool Member No.: 2978	QUOTE(anacrusis @ Jan 6 2007, 12:49 AM) Yes, I know. You'd need the vitriol to neutralise the caustic, surely? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) So long as that doesn't mean someone gets a-salt-ed (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif).

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