Thunderf00t - 2013-08-03
Conc. sulfuric acid is about 98% sulfuric acid by weight and 2 % water. This is the reaction of potassium with concentrated sulfuric acid. The blue green color is probably related to potassium gas (see 'my god its green' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hM--wQlOb4 music can be found here: supernova reset by zat http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/881312/the-supernova-s-reset This video is creative commons share alike.
Thank you for this, chemistry has always been my favorite subject of the sciences and seeing this was very cool indeed. :)
Wow, really beautiful. I love Chemistry! Btw, how long did the reaction last?
Supposedly, the "flame" comes from the redox reaction between potassium and sulfuric acid. Potassium metal is a strong reducing agent. So in this case concentrated sulfuric acid acts as an oxidant and provides oxygen for potassium to "burn" -- it's like a thermite reaction where Fe2O3 or another metal oxide oxidizes aluminium powder. So there is no atmospheric oxygen needed.
Assuming that potassium is a strong enough reducing agent to reduce the sulphate to S(0), ie, sulphur gas, could you then get hydrogen burning in sulphur to produce H2S?
I think potassium is strong enough to directly reduce sulfuric acid all the way to H2S.
@Yu-Pu Wang I looked it up, you're right, K+ > K have a value around -3, S -> S2 has value -0.5.
Doesn't look like K burning in oxygen, though, it's be lilac. Plus, the K is reduced to K+ and dissolves in what water there is instantly.
EDIT: No idea why strikethrough is there, it reads what it says through it.
@Tom Grunshaw Created an equation for this theory. No sign of any O2 given off, unless there's some strange SO4(2-) redox I'm not aware of at very low pH/high conc. 8K + SO4(2-) + 10H(+) -> 8K(+) + H2S + 4H2O
Occasionally, you have to do real work when you're filling in time between those videos. :D
Nice prize question: name the reaction going on here. :)
hydrogen? almost looks like the sun if you take a good look :D
well, maybe the reaction releases Oxygen so it burns on its own reaction when there is oxygen to burn off? dunno (: btw sry for my bad english
Science, the purest definition of "neato"! :)
oh my lack of god! this is very dangerous fun, I love it!
Wow, that reaction would be awesome put to music. Peace
I'm guessing this reaction is actually amazingly complicated, as in lots of different reactions going on at once.
You find the coolest sciency geeky stuff Love it. :)
exothermic reaction, Oxygen not needed
Thunder, do you see this reaction having a practical use in space?
A repeated reaction of it's first reaction
I would have been pretty scared to even attempt that reaction in a glass vessel! Must have been one heavy walled flask!
That's awesome, TF!
That's actually quite a beautiful reaction.
yes (assuming that thunderf00t uploaded a 30 fps video)
Its the Oxygen atoms from the H2O that reacts 2 H2O into H2 + O2. So actually it is oxygen burning there.
Put it in a blender and find out! :D
Thank you Thundef00t for sharing your discoveries with us, it's an honor.
No. To produce oxygen from non-oxygen, you're getting into nuclear reactions. Not chemical ones.
Wow, cool stuff!
Your WDPLAC series is amazing! Make some more!!!
I remember doing this in school. Good times
That acidic reaction when you reply with K.
Thats clerly the ONE Ring :)
Dark energy! BHWAHAHAHA!
Well I could explain this if I knew the first thing about chemisty.
I'm pretty sure you just created the One Ring. XD (...From Lord of the Rings.)
it's...it's the eye of Sauron! it's precious...
THE EYE OF SAURON!
Wow I've wanted to see Potassium in acid for a long time, this is epic!
It looks amazing! Does this effect occur every time? Also if this footage is 1000 frames/second does that mean it's 33 times real time? Can you see the flame without high speed cameras?
Potassium reacting with the O4 in the H2SO4?
I love the smell of hydrogen sulfide in the morning :/
so im assuming the potassium sample was ring shaped going into the reaction, right?
You have the loveliest voice... I could sit here and listen to you talk chemistry all day. That sounded rapey-er than I meant it to...
Fantastic reaction! I wonder if you were to put potassium in contact with sulfuric VAPOR if a similar effect would be produced.
What if the heat from the reaction is knocking some oxygen atoms off of the sulfate ions, which are fueling the flame? Thoughts?
I love chemistry, and it's great to see that you seem so excited about your laboratory work but I miss you being snarky at religion. What ever happened to Why Do People Laugh At Creationists?
I can't believe you call that work. You have too much fun! Could the reaction be using oxygen from the H2SO4? I'm no chemist BTW.
reminds me of the sun..
Well, that's incredibly interesting.
Amazing video man.
That was so beautiful. For some reason it reminded me of the violent events we see in the universe yet this could be a universe on its own! thank you for sharing something you just discovered. I would love to see more.
THE GREAT EYE WATCHES
It's reacting to antimatter, are you experimenting with warp drive again TF?
FiveDeepBreaths - 2013-08-03
"one of the most strange and bizarre reactions I've ever seen." Look who's talkin'.