Chemistry

The Alkali Metal Series, Reacting with Air and Water

If I understand the annotations on this, YouTuber ironnica’s only posted video, correctly, the footage was produced by a New Jersey educational media company in 1991, and the delightfully British narration more recently by somebody associated with the UK’s Open University. In any case, it is a perfectly concise, interesting, and entertaining demonstration of the increasing reactivities of the group I metals lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium.

Continue Reading June 9th, 2011 Sean Michael Ragan16

Etched-PCB Doctor Who Artwork

Love George Hadley’s etched PCB art influenced by the awe-inspiring British science fiction show Doctor Who: The main good time-traveling race in the show is called the Time Lords that live on the planet Gallifrey. The Gallifreyan artwork used on the artifacts and relics of the Time Lord race is some of my favorite, so […]

Continue Reading June 9th, 2011 John Baichtal4

Showing Off Aluminum’s Natural Reactivity via Gallium Alloy

Very interesting vid from 16-year-old Hayden Parker, who impressed me greatly with his animated chemistry demonstrations at Maker Faire. Metallic aluminum can be dissolved in liquid gallium to create an aluminum-bearing alloy that is liquid at ambient conditions. Because it can flow in the alloy, the aluminum cannot form a stable passive oxide layer and will react violently with water, which nicely demonstrates the normally-hidden high natural reactivity of metallic aluminum.

Continue Reading June 6th, 2011 Sean Michael Ragan1

Laser Cutting Glow-in-the-dark Plastic

A few years back, before I worked for MAKE, I had some business cards laser cut and blogged about it. Every so often, somebody runs across them and e-mails asking for helping making their own. I always refer them to Angus Hines, who’s a good friend, a Maker Faire regular, and the best (and least expensive) CNC contractor I know. Recently, Angus was hired by Frank Anselmo Eco to laser-cut some business cards from glow-in-the-dark sheet plastic, which is a pretty cool idea, IMHO. But the reason it’s on MAKE is the sweet lights-out video Angus shot of the laser-cutting action; check out how the phosphorescent plastic continues to glow for several seconds behind each cut. [Thanks, Angus!]

Continue Reading June 1st, 2011 Sean Michael Ragan4

Thermite Experimenter’s Online Video Notebook

UCLA chemist Jeffrey Schwartz, whose traditional thermite demonstrations I very much enjoyed at BAMF last week, has compiled what, he quite plausibly claims, is the world’s largest online gallery of thermite reaction videos at his fascinating site Amazing Rust.com. By my count, Jeffrey has there documented, with pictures or video or both, more than 40 different aluminothermic thermite events, smelting eleven different metal oxides including vanadium, cobalt, and titanium.

Continue Reading May 31st, 2011 Sean Michael Ragan6

In the MakerShed: Cooking for Geeks

Are you the innovative type, the cook who marches to a different drummer — used to expressing your creativity instead of just following recipes? Are you interested in the science behind what happens to food while it’s cooking? Then Cooking for Geeks by Jeff Potter is the book for you. Available in the MakerShed.

Continue Reading May 20th, 2011 Maker Shed

Make: Projects – Chemical Woodburning

If you want to apply a maker’s mark or other repeated pyrograph to wooden goods, but can’t justify the expense of a custom branding iron, a practically identical effect can be achieved by applying a strong solution of ammonium chloride, for instance using a foam rubber stamp, followed by relatively mild heat.

Continue Reading May 13th, 2011 Sean Michael Ragan8

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