Sunday, April 7, 2013

Chemistry! [NaHCO3 + HCl --> NaCl + H2 + CO2]

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and acid react to form sodium chloride, carbon dioxide and water vapor. The experiment looks like white powder before the reaction and white powder after the reaction.

I like how a change occurs but you can't see it. Our teacher usually says labs are going to be really cool or exciting, but this one he described as "probably the most boring lab ever." Because nothing happens. The only difference is that afterwards if you lit a flame it would catch on fire whereas before the experiment it wouldn't. But I thought it was poetic and existential – it's like a person who had an experience and showed no outward change at a casual glance, but in reality they're completely transformed.


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