Bang!
First post so be gentle :)

Bit of a chemistry theme here I'm afraid. School. 1977. A-level Chemistry. Me - Swotty McGoody-Goody. Experimenting with sodium in water - produces hydrogen in a fun, fizzy way. But what happens when you put sodium into hydrochloric acid? The answer was - violent fizz, duck below desk level and BANG! Glass & chemical cocktail everywhere. Nice :D

Find the metallic element in a variety of compounds using standard tests. One salt I found contained either iron or nickel (I found out later this was all I needed to determine). Mixed salt with magnesium powder & saltpetre, in a tube over a hot bunsen burner. BOOM! A claggy mass stuck to the ceiling, glass embedded in the bench top with a bit of rusty-coloured residue. Iron!

Chemistry club (told you I was swotty). Made an organic compound alluringly called 3-nitrobenzene 1-2 dicarboxylic acid. A major component of the smell of vomit apparently. Painted on 6th form head's door handle. Return from summer hols to a carpeting - he couldn't get the smell off for 3 weeks LOLZ!

Chem club again. Made picric acid - a highly unstable substance used in detonators & has to be kept under water. In a sealed bottle. Last I heard it had to be disposed of by the army as it was deemed to dangerous to risk opening the bottle in case some got caught in the lid & friction set it off.

Oh, happy days :D

Apolologies for length but not the explosions.
(Mister_E_Meat was caught sniffing bike saddles at, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 7:25, 1 reply)

You see, this is why kids love(d) Chemistry
Nowadays, I doubt you'd be able to do sodium-in-water without wearing goggles- from behind an inch of perspex and 2 inches of waivers.
( uberdeity Wondered why Owen Lars knew of the term "hell" on, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 9:51, closed)