Belief in miracles is born in childhood. With a delighted look, the child catches every movement of the magician, with bated breath follows the hat with a rabbit, with trepidation and hope awaits a gift from his beloved magician. A spectacle, faith in a miracle are necessary for children, and adults will not hurt to introduce a little fairy tale and delight into everyday regularity. How to do it? It's not that hard! You can please children, for example, with the appearance of a huge wriggling snake made of ordinary sand. To the aid of children's animators, organizers of holidays, creative parents, caring teachers will come entertaining chemistry.
An ordinary miracle is a pharaoh's snake made of soda and sugar, growing out of burning sand. This will be remembered for a long time! An elementary trick is easy to carry out at home, observing fire safety precautions.
And this monster appears from a harmless soda!
In one of the biblical parables, it is said that the staff of Moses turned into a snake when it touched the sand at the feet of the ruler. The spectacular display of power impressed the pharaoh in antiquity. Today, schoolchildren are surprised by the pharaoh snake, demonstrating a chemical reaction, as a result of which the ingredients increase in volume quickly and many times over. What are these incredible substances? No magic, just sand, soda, sugar and alcohol.
Ordinary sand is poured onto a ceramic plate. This material is abundant on the banks of rivers. The top of the mound is leveled, a recess is made in it. The slide is saturated with alcohol. You will have to run to the pharmacy for ethanol in advance and stock up on at least two bottles, since sand perfectly absorbs liquid. A mixture of soda and powdered sugar is laid out with a spoon on a significantly moistened mound. Proportion 1:4. For example, a spoonful of soda to four tablespoons of powdered sugar. These ingredients are in every kitchen. If there is no powder, it can be made in half a minute by pouring granulated sugar into a coffee grinder.
Everything is ready, it remains only to heat the components. It is safer to use a long-handled oven lighter, as it is easier to ignite alcohol, sugar and soda, because they can flare up instantly.
Gluconate-born snake looks like a monster from a horror movie
When the flame engulfs the entire hill, the ingredients will begin to blacken, shrink, and then increase dramatically in size, forming into a curving thick snake. Under the influence high temperature going on chemical reaction decomposition of soda, it breaks down into water vapor and carbon dioxide. It is the gases obtained as a result of this process that loosen and swell the mass, forming a snake - a black product of sugar combustion.
The experience itself lasts a few minutes, but the impressions of the sight of the curving body of an almost real reptile are remembered for a long time. Soda is the safest trick ingredient, but there are other substances that can be used to display monsters.
Manganese crystals are amazingly beautifully dissolved in water, gradually coloring the liquid in a soft lilac color, it seems that marvelous flowers have blossomed. It is this ability of the substance to color that is useful to the magician to demonstrate an unusual bright lilac-white snake, somewhat reminiscent of toothpaste for a giant.
Important! The experiment is carried out in a bathtub or sink, on an open lawn or sandy beach. There will be a lot of substances, so you should not risk an expensive carpet or a new sofa.
Ingredients:
Lilac manganese crystals (a teaspoon) are dissolved in water, then a foaming dishwashing detergent or ordinary liquid soap (also a spoon) is poured in. The mixture is best prepared in a narrow tall glass vessel or vase. And the final touch - peroxide!
Attention! The reaction is immediate and violent. A white-lilac dense foam, similar to an exotic python, literally erupts from a glass. The column of this mass first rushes up, and then folds into large rings.
Real sand viper
Urotropin is an antiseptic. Tablets must be bought at the pharmacy. You will also need a concentrate aqueous solution ammonium. On one tablet of urotropin, 10 drops of ammonium should be dripped from a syringe or pipette, then dried. And so repeat 4 times. Tablets are dried at room temperature, they can not be heated.
When the urotropin dries, the tablet is set on fire on a ceramic saucer. The temperature rises, a reaction occurs, black balls appear, quickly merging into one tight mass, which begins to wriggle and grow. What happened from the pill? Carbon, carbon dioxide, nitrogen - in general, gases that loosen the porous mass.
This is important to consider! The experiment will fail if you mix not tablets (they contain talc and paraffin), but pure urotropin and ammonium nitrate.
One of the simplest and most accessible tricks is to set fire to calcium gluconate tablets with dry fuel. A gray spotted snake will gradually form from each tablet. And if you set fire to the entire blister, you get a huge octopus crawling forward with tentacles. The tiny starting material expands 15-20 times to form an oxide of calcium, carbon, water and carbon dioxide. Isn't this magic?
Experiments are carried out only under the supervision of adults.
If there is an expired streptocide or fthalazol, biseptol or sulgin in the home first aid kit, then you can call the spirit of the viper. For a chemical experiment, it is enough to place a sulfanilamide tablet on dry fuel and set it on fire. The mass will swell, expand, and a noble viper with a metallic sheen will appear from the middle. However, the nature of this reptile is extremely insidious, it is really poisonous. The pungent smell of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide formed can be harmful to health.
Chemical experiments should be carried out carefully, observing elementary safety rules:
And this is a whole octopus or hydra.
It is better to see and do it once than to hear or learn a hundred times. The child will remember the emotions that he experienced during the demonstration, plunge into the atmosphere of magic. A small everyday miracle out of nothing is quite accessible to everyone with the right organization.
Pharaoh snakes are a number of reactions that are accompanied by the formation of a porous product from a small volume of reactants. These reactions are accompanied by rapid evolution of gas. As a result, the reaction looks like it is creeping out of a mixture of reagents big snake and crawls on the table like a real one.
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The most spectacular snake crawls out during the decomposition of mercury thiocyanate. A small piece of this substance is capable of spawning a monster of simply gigantic proportions. But getting it or getting it to conduct an experiment, if you, of course, do not have chemists you know, will be difficult. Yes, and the mercury vapor released during this reaction is very dangerous, so it is categorically not recommended to conduct such an experiment at home.
For an independent experiment, there is a special "home" pharaoh snake, all the ingredients of which are in every home, well, or they are not at all difficult to get. Just imagine, all you need is powdered sugar, baking soda, 96% ethyl alcohol (the same one that is in first-aid kits for external use) and dry river sand.
3-4 tablespoons of dry sifted river sand are poured into a dinner plate and a hill is made from it with a recess at the top. Then prepare a mixture consisting of 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. The sand is impregnated with alcohol and the prepared reaction mixture is poured into the recess of the slide. Then the hill is set on fire. The alcohol will burn. After 3–4 minutes, black balls appear on the surface of the mixture. When almost all the alcohol is burned, the mixture turns black, and a thick black "viper" slowly crawls out of the sand. At the base, it is surrounded by a collar of burning alcohol.
It is even easier to conduct an experiment if you simply buy calcium gluconate tablets in a pharmacy and set them on fire. All the substances necessary for the reaction are already contained inside them. But the effect will not be so amazing.
In the photo - the so-called "Pharaoh snake", the result of the decomposition reaction (Hg (NCS) 2). In general, pharaoh's snakes are called a whole series of chemical transformations, which are accompanied by the formation of a large volume of a porous reaction product from a small volume of starting materials. They are often used as a demonstration experiment to illustrate the fact that as a result of a chemical reaction, a multiple change in the volume of the reactants can occur. Such chemical processes are accompanied by a rapid release of gas and look as if a large snake crawls out of a mixture of reagents or the tentacles of an unprecedented alien appear.
The name of the experiment refers us to the text of the Old Testament. In the chapter of the seventh book of Exodus it is written: “And Aaron [the elder brother of Moses and his companion in the liberation of the Jews from Egyptian slavery] threw his staff before Pharaoh, and he [the staff] became a serpent. And Pharaoh called wise men and sorcerers; and these magicians of Egypt did the same with their charms: each of them threw his rod, and they became snakes, but the rod of Aaron swallowed up their rods.
Wöhler's find, a firework called the "Pharaoh's Serpent" ("Pharaoschlange"), was popular in Germany at science shows for a while, but then it was banned from showing anywhere except the walls of chemical laboratories. The ban on pharaoh's snakes was introduced when, under tragic circumstances, the toxic properties of Hg(NCS) 2 were discovered - several children were fatally poisoned by mistaking mercury(II) thiocyanate for candy and eating it.
Mercury(II) thiocyanate - solid white color, practically insoluble in water (at 20 ° C, 0.069 grams of Hg (NCS) 2 dissolves in 100 milliliters of water). It is obtained almost in the same way as Wöhler received it - by means of a reaction between solutions of mercury (II) nitrate or chloride with potassium thiocyanate. When mercury(II) thiocyanate is heated to 165°C, its spontaneous decomposition begins with the release of heat, and the white powder turns into a voluminous and porous brown mass that does not dissolve in water. Basically, the snake is composed of carbon nitride (C 3 N 4). The main decomposition reaction of mercury(II) thiocyanate is described by the following equation:
2Hg(NSC) 2 → 2HgS + CS 2 + C 3 N 4
When heated, C 3 N 4 partially decomposes with the formation of cyanogen and molecular nitrogen:
3C 3 N 4 → 3(CN) 2 + N 2
The mercury(II) sulfide formed as a result of the decomposition of mercury(II) thiocyanate can further react with atmospheric oxygen, resulting in the formation of metallic mercury, the vapor of which is volatile. Therefore, for safety during a demonstration experiment, the decomposing mercury(II) thiocyanate is usually covered with a glass cap.
HgS + O 2 → Hg + SO 2
Carbon disulfide (CS 2), formed during the decomposition of mercury thiocyanate, is highly flammable and can also burn in atmospheric oxygen to form carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide (SO 2) gases:
CS 2 + 3O 2 → CO 2 + 2SO 2
Like all mercury salts, thiocyanate is toxic. Its semi-lethal dose (LD 50) is 46 mg/kg (for rats when administered orally), this substance enters the body especially quickly through the mucous membranes and is absorbed through the skin. For this reason, and also because of the possible release of mercury vapor, preparation for the experiment and its conduct require not only caution and attention, but also safety precautions - a snake from Hg (NCS) 2 can only be shown in a special laboratory room with a good exhaust ventilation. This experience is very spectacular: from 0.5 grams of Hg(NCS) 2 you can get a snake up to 30 cm long.
If you want to see the pharaoh snake in your kitchen or show it on a matinee in assembly hall schools or kindergarten, then the safest option is the gluconate pharaoh snake. To obtain such a snake, it is enough to heat a calcium gluconate tablet, which can be bought at any pharmacy, to 120 ° C (during experiments, calcium gluconate is most often placed on a dry fuel tablet that is set on fire). Calcium gluconate will begin to decompose, and a light color will crawl out of its tablet. gray snake with white spots. From one tablet weighing 0.5 grams, you can get a snake up to 10–15 cm long.
The decomposition of calcium gluconate leads to the formation of calcium oxide, carbon, carbon dioxide and water:
Ca 2 + O 2 → 10C + 2CO 2 + CaO + 10H 2 O
Calcium gluconate pharaoh's snake gives a light shade of calcium oxide. The disadvantage of the resulting snake is its fragility: it easily crumbles.
Arkady Kuramshin
One of my recent "finds" on the World Wide Web was the Pharaoh Serpent, which can be made using alcohol, sugar and soda. This amazing experiment will captivate kids and you can do it at home.
Is it possible to imagine a holiday for children without exciting contests, raffles, fun games and various entertainments? Of course not! After all, our kids are waiting for a bright celebration filled with magic, the atmosphere of a fairy tale and adventure.
For me, organizing such events is a real torture.
But it is enough to remember that careful preparation will light up the eyes of the children with a mischievous spark, and the room will be filled with ringing unrestrained laughter, as the energy for searching for ideas begins to bubble up.
If you're looking for a way to surprise the little ones, then the magic of granulated sugar, sodium bicarbonate and other simple ingredients will help you turn the holiday into an incredible event that will leave you with bright impressions.
Experience occurs according to one main principle. The components used enter into a chemical reaction and significantly increase in volume. These changes take place incredibly quickly and create the impression of a viper crawling out. It wriggles so realistically, heading up and to the sides, that the children are fascinated by every movement of the snake, marveling at the miracle.
The Soda and Sugar Pharaoh Serpent is a very simple experiment that is carried out using available components. But it is important to respect the proportions so that the focus does not disappoint with its effect.
I found many variations of this experience on the Internet, but I chose the safest one, since the "show" was organized for children. To make charming vipers with your own hands, you should prepare the following ingredients:
Take a deep container and place a small amount of river sand in it. Soak this slide with alcohol, pouring it in a thin stream. Make a recess at the top of the sand "pyramid".
Next, you need to mix soda and powdered sugar (in the absence of this component, grind sugar in a blender) in a separate bowl. Sodium bicarbonate is taken 4 times less than the second component (for example, 2 tsp.
substances per 8 tsp. powdered sugar).
The resulting mixture is carefully poured into the created recess of the sand slide. In order for the writhing snake to appear, you only need to set fire to this “structure”. This should be done very carefully using a match. In this case, you can control the "power" of the flame and easily rotate the match, setting fire to the right places.A chemical reaction will occur immediately after ignition. Gradually, the sand will turn into dark balls, but as soon as all the alcohol burns out, the mixture will turn black and the Pharaoh's Beard (or Pharaoh's Serpent) will appear from it.
Surely every young chemist who loves to conduct experiments knows about this experience. If your child is not fond of such activities, he will be impressed by what is happening.
The secret of the described experiment lies in the fact that when soda and sugar enter into a reaction, the first component decomposes into steam, as well as carbon dioxide. This action "forces" the mass to move. The viper itself will be formed from the remains of combustion.
After the first snake appears, the composition can be set on fire again, and another viper will appear from it. As soon as the children see this miracle, they may have a desire to touch the “guest” who appeared at the celebration.
It is possible that they will also want to eat, but given the composition of the viper, it is better not to allow the implementation of this idea. But you can touch the resulting "monster".
Cute and funny snakes can be obtained not only by using food. I experimented with other components and took note of several options. They are perfect for organizing a fun weekend in the country.
Here are a few simple options obtaining pharaoh reptiles:
Despite the simplicity and seeming safety of experiments, they should be carried out exclusively in the presence of adults. In addition, the following rules must be observed:
Besides, magical ritual should be carried out after stocking up on water for extinguishing. This will avoid serious consequences if the experience gets out of hand.
Give children joy and good mood very easy, so do not miss the opportunity to please them with unusual and interesting experiences Because childhood is fleeting. By choosing safe "magic activities" and taking precautions, you can get them closer to the pharaoh's snake, which is sure to be remembered for a lifetime.
How to involve children in chemistry? - Show an interesting, spectacular, stunning experiment! “But such an experiment requires equipment, materials, knowledge,” you say. AND…
make a mistake! For a minimal but equally spectacular pharaoh serpent, you just need to go to the pharmacy, and then to the Hunter / Fisher or hardware store.
And observe some precautions, the same as, for example, when launching fireworks, that is, be careful with fire.
Just such an experiment - the classic "Pharaoh Serpent", which seems to appear out of nowhere, sways, sometimes hisses, sometimes sparkles and always impresses.
Pharaoh snakes include a large number of chemical colorful demonstrations with various reagents and equipment.
I will try to tell you about the easiest in terms of availability of chemicals and safety for humans, but not always the easiest in terms of preparation, so do not be too lazy. Although the first "snake" will be for the lazy too 🙂
I have come across a dozen explanations of where the name "Pharaoh Serpent" comes from. Three of them are most often mentioned:
Perhaps there is some truth in each of the explanations. I suspect that the priests and "magicians" of antiquity could well be able to create such snakes, fooling the flock and spectators and convincing them of their power 🙂 . Be that as it may, we are not going to fool anyone, about each “snake” it will be told why and how it turns out.
It really is the easiest to do. Yes, and you will need materials for a maximum of 60 rubles.
Buy a pack of dry fuel tablets from a hardware store or a store that sells hunting and fishing equipment. In a pharmacy, buy calcium gluconate tablets, the cheapest, without a shell.
You will also need matches (a lighter is also suitable, but it is more convenient to set fire to a dry fuel tablet with matches).
Attention! Show only in a fireproof place! Make sure that children do not come close to a burning dry fuel tablet!
It is better to conduct the experiment in calm weather or in a wind-sheltered place. Place a dry fuel tablet on a non-combustible surface, place a calcium gluconate tablet on top.Set fire to dry fuel (in the video, the tablet is set on fire only from one side, as a result, the “snake” leans to the side, if you want a more direct “snake”, try to set fire to the tablet at the same time as different parties), watch.
A tablet of dry fuel burns from 8 to 13 minutes, as a rule, all this time the “snake” will grow. The longest snake I have ever recorded is just over 30 centimeters.
What happens to calcium gluconate during heating? The reaction is simple:
Ca2 + O2 → CO2 + Ca(OH)2 + H2O + C
I deliberately did not equalize the coefficients:
Have you burnt all the dry fuel tablets yet? Then go back to the pharmacy and buy the cheapest of the sulfonamides in the form of tablets of 0.5 grams (maybe there are more? Then you can take more) without a shell.
For example, streptocid, sulfadimethoxine, sulgin, etazol, ftalazol, sulfadimezin, norsulfazol, etc. Biseptol do not take - expensive. Or look in the first aid kit, maybe even there is an expired one - even better: your conscience will not torment you.
Attention! Show only in a fireproof place! Poisonous gases are emitted in the experiment! It is best to conduct the experiment under power or outdoors with a light wind blowing from you. Make sure that children do not come close to a burning dry fuel tablet!
So, put a tablet of dry fuel on a non-combustible surface, put a sulfanilamide tablet on top. Set it on fire, move in the direction from which the wind is blowing or push the draft glass and turn on a weak outflow. Depending on which sulfanilamide you bought, the snake will have a different thickness.
By the way, this snake can be controlled (do it only under traction!) - you can pick up its tip with tweezers and drag it slightly - it will lose weight and stretch.
During the combustion of sulfanilamide, toxic gases (sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, possible small amounts of sulfuric anhydride and nitrogen oxides) and non-toxic gases (carbon dioxide, nitrogen) are released, which swell the mass of forming carbon.
Such a snake, in addition to a colorful demonstration, also has more mundane qualities: instead of fumigating a gray room, you can use a couple of such snakes. Rats do not enter the premises for a very long time, which was "fumigated" by the sulfanilamide viper, they leave the holes in which this such snake was set on fire. However, remember that after fumigating the room, it is better not to be in it for a while, you risk getting poisoned!
The snake has a metallic hue and looks a lot like giant steel shavings. After combustion, it is safe.
Well, let's write the combustion reaction of sulfanilamide using the example of sulfadimethoxine:
C12H14N4O4S+ O2 → CO2 + N + SO2 + H2O + C + H2S
I again did not equalize the coefficients:
You will need washed (clean) dried sand, preferably coarse, pure alcohol, soda and sugar. This experiment is relatively safe (on a small scale) to be done in a kitchen, for example, but you still need to remember the safety precautions when working with alcohol and fire.
Create a sand slide on a plate with a depression at the top (in fact, the larger the slide and the wider the diameter of the depression, the thicker and longer the snake will turn out. But do not overdo it - firstly, it is more dangerous, secondly, it can break into pieces), soak it in alcohol.
Pour the previously prepared mixture of baking soda and sugar into the recess (the ratio of soda and sugar is 1: 4). You can be guided by an approximate ratio: for a glass of sand, you need to take half a teaspoon of soda and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Set fire to the hill. The alcohol will catch fire, the "slide" will take on the flame.
Gradually, the mixture at the top will begin to turn black, and soon a black serpentine mass will climb out of the “crater” - our snake.Now about what happens in the experiment: sodium bicarbonate turns into carbonate with the release of carbon dioxide and water vapor:
2NaHCO3 = Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2
alcohol burns in air again with the formation of carbon dioxide and water:
C2H5OH + 3O2 = 2CO2 + 3H2O
sugar burns with a lack of oxygen, forming carbon dioxide, water and carbon (the reaction is not equalized due to the fact that the amount of oxygen is unknown):
C12H22O11 + O2 → CO2 + H2O + С
Actually, coal, together with sodium carbonate, foamed with gases and create a snake effect.
On this I am not going to complete the material. There are other options for creating a pharaoh snake, which I will talk about later.
For many, chemistry lessons are a real torment. But if you have at least a little understanding of this subject, then you can conduct entertaining experiments and enjoy it. Yes, and teachers will not hurt to interest their students. For this, the so-called pharaoh snakes are perfect.
No one knows for sure the origin of the name "Pharaoh's snakes", but they date it to biblical events.
In order to impress the pharaoh, the prophet Moses, on the advice of the Lord, threw his staff on the ground, and it turned into a snake. Once in the hands of the chosen one, the reptile again became a staff.
Although in fact there is nothing in common between how these experiences are obtained and the biblical events.
The most common substance for producing snakes is mercury thiocyanate. However, experiments with it can only be carried out in a well-equipped chemical laboratory. The substance is toxic and has an unpleasant persistent odor.
A "pharaoh's snake" at home can be created from tablets that are sold at any pharmacy without a prescription, or mineral fertilizers from a hardware store.
For the experiment, calcium gluconate, urotropin, soda, powdered sugar, saltpeter and many substances that can be purchased at a pharmacy or store are used.
The easiest way to conduct the experiment "Pharaoh Serpents" at home from medicines sulfanilamide group. These are such means as "Streptocide", "Biseptol", "Sulfadimezin", "Sulfadimetoksin" and others. Almost everyone has these drugs in the house.
"Pharaoh's snakes" from sulfonamides turn out to be a brilliant gray color, they resemble corn sticks in structure. If you carefully pick up the “head” of the snake with a clamp or tweezers, you can pull out a fairly long reptile from one tablet.
In order to conduct a chemical experiment "Pharaoh's Serpent", you will need a burner or dry fuel and the above medicines. Several tablets are laid out on dry alcohol, which is set on fire. During the reaction, substances such as nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and water vapor are released. The reaction formula is as follows:
С11H12N4O2S+7O2 = 28C+2H2S+2SO2+8N2+18H2O
Such an experiment must be carried out very carefully, since sulfur dioxide is very toxic, just like hydrogen sulfide. Therefore, if it is not possible to ventilate the room during the experiment or turn on the hood, it is better to do this on the street or in a specially equipped laboratory.
It is best to experiment with substances that are safe, even if used outside of a specially equipped laboratory. "Pharaoh's Serpent" from calcium gluconate is obtained quite simply.
This will require 2-3 tablets of the drug and a cube of dry fuel. Under the influence of the flame, a reaction begins, and a gray "snake" crawls out of the tablet. Such experiments with calcium gluconate are quite safe, but you should still be careful when conducting them. The chemical reaction formula is as follows:C12H22CaO14+O2 = 10C+2CO2+CaO+11H2O
As you can see, a reaction occurs with the release of water, carbon dioxide, carbon and calcium oxide. It is the release of gas that causes growth. "Pharaoh snakes" are obtained in length up to 15 centimeters, but they are short-lived. When you try to pick them up, they fall apart.
If you have a vegetable garden personal plot or cottage, then there are necessarily various fertilizers. The most common, which can be found in the pantry of any summer resident and farmer, is saltpeter or ammonium nitrate. For the experiment, you will need sifted river sand, half a teaspoon of saltpeter, half a teaspoon of powdered sugar, a spoonful of ethyl alcohol.
It is necessary to make a recess in the sand hill. The larger the diameter, the thicker the "snake" will be. A well-ground mixture of saltpeter and sugar is poured into a recess and poured with ethyl alcohol. Then the alcohol is set on fire, a “snake” is gradually formed.
The reaction is the following:
2NH4NO3 + C12H22O11 = 11C + 2N2 + CO2 + 15H2O.
Selection toxic substances during experience obliges to observe safety precautions.
"Pharaoh snakes" are obtained not only from medical preparations or fertilizer. For experience, you can use products such as sugar and soda. Such components can be found in any kitchen. A hill with a recess is formed from river sand and soaked with alcohol. Powdered sugar and baking soda are mixed in a ratio of 4: 1 and poured into the recess. Alcohol is set on fire.
The mixture begins to blacken and slowly swell. When the alcohol almost ceases to burn, several writhing "reptiles" crawl out of the sand. The reaction is the following:
2NaHCO3 = Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2,
C2H5OH + 3O2 = 2CO2 + 3H2O
The mixture decomposes into sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide and water vapor. It is the gases that cause soda ash to swell and grow, which does not burn during the reaction.
There is another easy way to get the "pharaoh's snake" from drugs. To do this, you will need to purchase the drug "Urotropin" at the pharmacy. Instead of tablets, dry fuel containing this substance can also be used.
You will also need a solution of ammonium nitrate. The drug "Urotropin" must be impregnated with it. However, it is impossible to immediately apply the entire solution to the starting material, so it is necessary to add a few drops and dry.
In this case, drying should occur at room temperature.
After that, the tablet is set on fire. The result is not so much a “serpent” as a “dragon”. However, if you look closely, this is the same experience of "Pharaoh's Serpent". But due to the properties of the components, a more violent reaction occurs, which leads to the formation of a three-dimensional figure.
The first chemical experiment "Pharaoh's Serpent" was obtained by a medical student in 1820. Friedrich Wöhler mixed solutions of mercury nitrate and ammonium thiocyanate and obtained a white crystalline precipitate. The student dried the resulting precipitate of mercury thiocyanate and set it on fire just for the sake of curiosity. A black-and-yellow serpentine mass began to crawl out of the burning substance.
"Pharaoh snakes" from mercury thiocyanate are obtained simply. The substance must be ignited on a heat-resistant surface. The reaction will follow:
2Hg(NCS)2 = 2HgS + C3N4 + CS2
CS2 + 3O2 = CO2 + 2SO2
Under thermal influence, mercury thiocyanate decomposes into mercury sulfide (gives the “reptile” a black color), carbon nitride (responsible for the yellow color of the snake) and carbon disulfide (carbon disulfide).
The latter ignites and decomposes into gases - carbon dioxide and sulfur oxide, which swell carbon nitride. It, in turn, captures mercury sulfide, and black and yellow "Pharaoh's snakes" are obtained.
This experiment should never be done at home! In addition to the release of toxic gases, mercury vapor is released. Mercury is poisonous in itself and can cause severe chemical poisoning.
Despite the fact that most of the substances from which "Pharaoh's snakes" can be obtained are considered safe, experiments must be carried out very carefully.
As can be seen from the above formulas, during decomposition, rather toxic components are released, which can lead to severe poisoning. All experiments can be carried out at home only in a ventilated room or with a high-power hood.
Experiments with mercury thiocyanate can only be carried out in a specially equipped laboratory, observing all safety regulations.
In conclusion, we can say that by conducting the chemical experiment "Pharaoh's Serpents" in the classroom, the teacher can interest students in his subject. The lesson is likely to be of interest even to those who do not understand and do not like chemistry. And those who prefer practice over boring theoretical calculations will receive an additional incentive to study science.
Chemical reactions, during which the reagents increase several times, are called the "Pharaoh Serpent". Substances that interact react and this is reminiscent of the movement of a snake.
It is enough to watch a video on YouTube, of which there are several hundred, to make sure that the course of a chemical reaction is similar to how this cold-blooded thing wriggles.
The etymology of the name is from the biblical story. There is a chapter in the holy book when Pharaoh ordered Moses to show him a real miracle.
He threw the staff on the ground, he became a huge python. Pharaohs are similar in their principle of action. From small, inactive reagents, an active, moving, growing creature is obtained.
Huge pharaoh snakes are transformed from reagents that are forbidden to have in the apartment (acids, mercury thiocyanate, ammonium nitrate, potassium dichromate).
But the lack of necessary ingredients is no reason to give up. It is possible to conduct the experiment yourself, in the apartment. You will need soda, sugar.
Soda, sugar enter into active interaction. Experiments with substances should be carried out in strict accordance with fire safety standards, when they are carried out and observed by children.
Use:
Place a fire extinguisher nearby. If the reaction does not go according to plan, it will save the home from a fire.
Prepare the ingredients. The creation of the pharaoh's serpent must be done quickly. Mix the components slowly - the reaction will not occur.
You will need:
The first ingredient of the composition will require 300 grams. The last three are less. The proportions of powdered sugar - 15 grams, soda - a quarter of a tablespoon. Usually a part, all components are at home.
Assembled components, including measuring instruments. Objects that ignite have been removed from the work surface, curtains have been moved back.
An amazing spectacle - the experiment is carried out in the dark. For the first time, it is better to observe the process - you will see the nuances. Put a fire extinguisher, a basin of water will do.
Sodium bicarbonate reacted with sugar activated by alcohol. The sand serves as a protective support.
The snake has grey colour, at first you can’t touch it with your hands - it’s hot. Inside the cavity, it is cut like mounting foam. Pay attention - there are several snakes. If one appeared, separated from the recess, after a while a second one may appear (the reaction has not ended). Wait for the end of the chemical interaction.
Ignition of alcohol begins the interaction of sugar, baking soda. Sodium bicarbonate decomposes into water vapor, carbon dioxide reptile.
The latter swells up a lot of sugars, they begin to increase in size. The body of the pharaoh's serpent is created from the results of burning sugars. As a result of the oxidation of carbon dioxide, the python crawls and wriggles.
Baking soda is a standard item in the kitchen and is easy to find. It is possible to demonstrate the effect of particle interaction using other methods:
They burn for a long time, but the material is fragile. Cutting won't work. Good for showing the effect. The reaction continues for 2-3 minutes.
Sold by pharmacies. Multiple increase in volume. Be sure to use sealed gloves.
The reaction is instantaneous, there are no combustion products. A pillar of foam appears from a vessel of red, pink hues.
A large black snake grows out of a hill of sugar and soda
Complexity:
Danger:
Put on safety goggles before starting the experiment.
Do the experiment on a tray.
Keep a container of water nearby during the experiment.
Place the burner on the cork stand. Do not touch the burner immediately after completing the experiment - wait until it cools down.
General safety rules
First Aid Information
Urotropin may stick together during storage. To still pour it out of the jar, take a black stick from the set and carefully break the lumps.
If hemotropin is not pressed in a mold, pour it into a plastic cup and add 4 drops of water. Mix the moistened powder well and transfer back to the mould.
You can also add 3 drops of soap solution from the "Tin" kit that you received with the "Monster Chemistry" kit.
When working with chemicals you need to follow an unshakable rule: never taste anything from what you got as a result of chemical reactions. Even if in theory it is a safe product. Life is often richer and more unpredictable than any theory. The product may not be what you expected, chemical glassware may contain traces of previous reactions, chemical reagents may not be clean enough. Experiments with tasting reagents can end sadly.
That is why it is forbidden to eat anything in professional laboratories. Even brought food. Safety above all!
Is it possible to touch the "snake"? Be careful, it can be hot! Coal, of which the "snake" mainly consists, can smolder. Make sure the snake is cold before you can touch it. The snake gets dirty - do not forget to wash your hands after the experience!
Take a dry fuel burner from the starter kit and put foil on it. Attention! Use a cork stand to avoid damaging your work surface.
Position the plastic ring in the center of the foil.
Pour all dry fuel (2.5 g) into the ring.
Press the mold into the ring to make a hole in the pile of dry fuel. Remove the mold carefully.
Remove the plastic ring by lightly tapping it.
Pour two level scoops of sugar (2 g) into a jar of 0.5 g of soda (NaHCO3) and close the jar with a lid.
Shake the jar for 10 seconds to mix the sugar and soda.
Pour the mixture of soda and sugar into the recess in the dry fuel.
Set fire to dry fuel - very soon a black "snake" will begin to grow from this hill!
Dry fuel will start to burn. A mixture of sugar and soda in the fire will begin to turn into a large black "snake". If you do everything right, then you will grow a snake 15-35 cm long.
Recycle solid waste experiment with household waste.
When heated, part of the sugar (C 12 H 22 O 11) burns out, turning into water vapor and carbon dioxide. Combustion requires oxygen supply. Since the flow of oxygen into the inner regions of the sugar hill is difficult, a different process takes place there: from a high temperature, sugar decomposes into coal and water vapor. This is how our “snake” turns out.
When heated, soda decomposes with the release of carbon dioxide (CO 2):
Soda is added to the dough so that it becomes fluffy when baking. And that is why we add soda to sugar in this experiment - so that the released carbon dioxide and water vapor make the “snake” airy, light. Therefore, the snake can grow up.
Basically, the "snake" consists of coal, obtained by heating sugar and not burned in the fire. It is coal that gives the “snake” such a black color. Also in its composition there is Na 2 CO 3, resulting from the decomposition of soda when heated.
C 12 H 22 O 11 + O 2 \u003d CO 2 + H 2 O
C 12 H 22 O 11 → C + H 2 O
2NaHCO 3 → Na 2 CO 3 + H 2 O + CO 2
A sugar molecule is made up of carbon (C), oxygen (O), and hydrogen (H) atoms. This is how it looks like:
Frankly, it's hard to see something here. Download the MEL Chemistry app on your smartphone or tablet and you will be able to look at the sugar molecule from different angles and better understand its structure. In the application, the sugar molecule is called Sucrose.
As you can see, this molecule consists of two parts, linked together by an oxygen atom (O). Surely you have heard the name of these two parts: glucose and fructose. They are also called simple sugars. Ordinary sugar is called compound sugar to emphasize that a sugar molecule consists of several (two) simple sugars.
This is what these simple sugars look like:
fructose
Sugars are important building blocks of plants. During photosynthesis, plants produce simple sugars from water and carbon dioxide. The latter, in turn, can combine both into short molecules (for example, sugar) and into long chains. Starch and cellulose are such long chains (polysugars) that are made up of simple sugars. Plants use them as building material and to store nutrients.
The longer the sugar molecule, the more difficult it is for our digestive system digest it. That is why we love sweets containing simple short sugars so much. But our body was not designed to feed mainly on simple sugars, they are rare in nature. Therefore, be careful with the consumption of sweets!
This is not an easy question. First you need to understand what is bonding energy.
Imagine a train car with a very uneven floor. This car has its own mountains, its own hollows, depressions. A sort of small Switzerland in the car. A wooden ball is rolling on the floor. If released, it will roll down the slope until it reaches the bottom of one of the depressions. We say that the ball "wants" to take up the position of minimum potential energy, which is just below the trough. Similarly, the atoms try to line up in such a configuration in which the bond energy is minimal.
There are a few subtle points here that I would like to draw your attention to. First, remember that such an explanation of what is said “on the fingers” is not very accurate, but it will suit us to understand the big picture.
So where does the ball go? To the lowest point of the car? No matter how! It will slide into the nearest depression. And, most likely, it will remain there. Maybe on the other side of the mountain there is another depression, deeper. Unfortunately, our ball does not “know” this. But if the car shakes strongly, then with a high probability the ball will jump out of its local cavity and “find” a deeper hole. There we shake a bucket of gravel to compact it. The gravel knocked out of the position of the local minimum will most likely find a more optimal configuration, and our ball will sooner reach a deeper depression.
As you may have guessed, in the microcosm, temperature is an analogue of shaking. When we heat the substance, we make the whole system "shake", as we rocked the car with the ball. Atoms break off and reattach themselves different ways, and with a high probability they will be able to find a more optimal configuration than they were at the beginning. If it exists, of course.
We see such a process in very in large numbers chemical reactions. The molecule is stable because it is located in a local cavity. If we move it a little, it will get worse, and it will return back similarly to a ball, which, if moved sideways from a local cavity a little, it will roll back. But it is worth heating this substance harder so that our “car” is properly shaken, and the molecule will find a more successful configuration. That's why dynamite won't explode until you hit it. That is why the paper will not catch fire until you heat it. They feel good in their local holes and need a noticeable effort to get them out of there, even if there is a deeper hole nearby.
Now we can return to our original question: why does soda (NaHCO 3) decompose when heated? Because it is in a state of a local minimum of binding energies. In such a hollow. Nearby there is a deeper depression. This is how we talk about the state when 2NaHCO 3 decayed into 2Na 2 CO 3 + H 2 O + CO 2. But the molecule does not “know” about this, and until we heat it up, it will not be able to get out of its local hole in order to look around and find a deeper hole. But when we heat the soda to 100-200 degrees, this process will go quickly. Soda decomposes.
Why does table salt NaCl not break down in a similar way? Because she is already in the deepest hole. If it is broken into Na and Cl or any other combination of them, the bond energy will only increase.
If you've read this far, well done! This is not the simplest text and not the simplest thoughts. I hope you managed to glean something. I want to warn you in this place! As I said at the beginning, this is a beautiful explanation, but not quite right. There are situations when the ball in the car will tend to occupy not the deepest hole. Similarly, our matter will not always tend to a state with a minimum bond energy. But more about that some other time.
