> chemistry > oxydants > chemical-thunderstorm-in-a-beaker-manganese-heptoxide-nurdrage

Chemical Thunderstorm in a Beaker

NurdRage - 2023-09-30

In this video we make a chemical thunderstorm in a beaker using manganese heptoxide.

I wanted recreate the test tube thunderstorm on a larger scale, adding sound for a more immersive experience. The setup involved using a glass funnel to carefully pour sulfuric acid into ethanol and form a layer of it in the bottom. Sprinkling potassium permanganate into the mix led to the formation of manganese heptoxide that reacted with ethanol and produced display of small explosions, accompanied by popping sounds and flashes of light. 

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@Cowrish - 2023-09-30

Yoo the old intro is back

@NurdRage - 2023-09-30

lol. Whenever i think a video is "fun" or highly informative, i use the flashy intro. Whenever i think a video is technical or simple, i use the white intro. :)

@Cowrish - 2023-10-01

@@NurdRage Nice

@jasonpatterson8091 - 2023-10-01

Had this run away on me in a test tube using acetone. Pop pop pop pop POP BWOOSH! Sprayed out everywhere while on fire. My students were entertained...

@NonEuclideanTacoCannon - 2023-09-30

Sounds like water in a deep fryer.

@madmax2069 - 2023-10-03

I thought of the same thing.

@adamwiess - 2023-09-30

If YouTube demonetizes this video you could change the name to The Tempest in a Teapot Reaction

@andersjjensen - 2023-10-01

LOL! Good one!

@kimh9736 - 2023-10-01

Thanks for spoiling us with content, it feels a bit like we're back to 2012 when I started watching 😊

@paxandromeda - 2023-09-30

Heh, you had fun with that edit.

I'll say again...
fwoompf
...fire safety protocols must be in place

@ShadowDragon8685 - 2023-10-02

Heard of a temptest in a teacup. This seems to be a brouhaha in a beaker!

@edgeeffect - 2023-10-07

I must have missed this first time round. Pot. Perman. is my favourite reagent and this is it's best show yet... Great stuff!

@erikhartwig6366 - 2023-09-30

What an incredible effect. looks just like videos from the ISS looking down at storms on earth. thank you for sharing!

@arnecl9566 - 2023-09-30

NurdRage: "I need some potassium permanganate. It's useful for analytical chemistry. ... And I'm gonne make a thunderstorm in a beaker with it."

@GodlikeIridium - 2023-09-30

Cool! I didn't know you could go that crazy with the amounts :D Thanks Mr. Rage.
With crszy stuff like burning gloves with fuming nitric acid, I always go haywire because I know what's going to happen. But from relatively safe experiments like this one, I've got a lot of respect, because if that goes up in flames, it's bad. But knowing it's just a flame like in your demonstration, I know how to handle it. The kids will love it :D And the employees too xD
But nothing beats my main demonstration of chemistry for kids looking for a career: The silver mirror! I do it with them in a 20 mL Vial, then put a round glass bead in it and close it, so they've got a cute little bell to take home.

@conormarie4310 - 2023-09-30

I've done the very same mirroring little glass bottles with silver nitrate. Making mini blue bottles in small conicals is a bit more simple for the younger ones. Good fun

@CourtneyDeez - 2023-12-29

That was awesome! New sub here! How is this channel not over a million subs...people are nuts... They need to see this awesomeness!

@umbrakinesis2011 - 2023-10-01

It looks so awesome! If you could film it in slow motion (not even super high frame rate), that might have a better effect so we could see more of the action.

@pootentate6184 - 2023-09-30

Forbidden Pop Rocks!

@csn583 - 2023-09-28

Fun! Makes me think of star formation in a dark early universe.

Can you snuff the flame normally? There is an oxidizer and fuel, but presumably the flame on top is primarily using the atmospheric oxygen. Could one maintain an inert gas layer to completely avoid a fire?

@NurdRage - 2023-09-30

Yup! if you keep the whole thing in inert gas it won't catch fire like this. You then just have to wait until the manganese heptoxide is consumed.

@piranha031091 - 2023-10-01

No need for argon, just covering it with an hourglass or a piece of aluminium foil should do the trick.

(That's how I put out flaming hexane beakers, that caught fire when I was etching pieces of potassium in them...)

@GigsVT - 2023-10-02

@@piranha031091 a watch glass would be cheaper

@MordecaiV - 2023-10-03

I am pretty sure @@piranha031091 means a watchglass not an hourglass

@demandred1957 - 2023-09-30

Nice! Glad to see you uploading frequently. Almost forgot about you...

@RaExpIn - 2023-09-30

This reaction is so simple and yet looks and sounds so awesome, but I never got it to work as beautiful as in these shots... Maybe I should give it another try.

@jesseluna4406 - 2023-09-30

Wow, very nice effect! I would love to see the slow mo version of this using a slow motion camera.

@jerematic - 2023-10-01

Seems like something the SlowMoGuys would be interested in.

@SafetyLucas - 2023-10-02

Yes! A super close-up macro slow motion video would be awesome!

@aSCrouton - 2023-10-02

would be cool but maybe its too dark overall for it to be captured, slo mo requires a ton of light

@hackerjamsjustwegamer1568 - 2023-10-03

Every day NurdRage post, is a good day

@scrappydoo7887 - 2023-10-01

These are the kind of things that make relatively amateur chemistry fun 👍
If it involves fire or the appearance of it will always make me happy lol

@JehuMcSpooran - 2023-10-17

That's some pretty good ASMR right there. Sounded like you were deep frying some chips.

@DanielGBenesScienceShows - 2023-10-04

This is absolutely amazing! I would love to see these oxidation explosions filmed at high speed.

@experimental_chemistry - 2023-09-30

Reactions with manganese heptoxide are able to run out of control easily which can get very dangerous.
So this should by done in a high form beaker kept cool from the outside by an icewater bath. Not too much permanganate should be added at once. A face shield and protective gloves need to be worn.

@niemam5825 - 2023-09-30

That's actually not thunderstorm in a beaker. It's bombing of Dresden in a beaker.

@rex-up9ln - 2023-10-04

Lol

@zachreyhelmberger894 - 2023-09-30

WOW! What fun! It'd be fun to see real close up one crystal in a test tube with a close up lens and high speed camera to see what is going on.

@1BobTheSubGenius - 2023-09-30

This reaction really looks like a universe photo's. Very beautiful and good to see you around again!🎉

@guythat779 - 2023-10-01

You keep redoing favourite videis which i have referenced recently

@ChaosUnit178 - 2023-10-03

I really want to see this reaction filmed by The Slo-Mo Guys

@bpark10001 - 2023-09-30

When I was in college a chemistry stockroom manager became severely injured mixing up potassium permanganate with concentrated sulfuric acid for glassware cleaning solution.

@nirvanamadpaul - 2023-10-02

Ive got a chemistry book from the late1800s.... I get to see it in action now :)

@Auroral_Anomaly - 2023-09-30

Bro took “little fires everywhere” to a whole new level.💀

@9daywonda - 2023-09-30

Back to basic chemistry which is always good and do'able. Just like scientific rice crispies. SNAP CRACKLE AND POP!!!

@barry7608 - 2023-09-30

Thanks never seen that one before, looks great, good for the grandkids to see.

@mtalhakhalid1679 - 2023-10-01

sounds like hot oil in a fryer hahaha after a while saw your video.

@twocvbloke - 2023-09-30

Change the container for something else and you could have a storm in a teacup too... :P

@SurvivalSquirrel - 2023-09-30

A bit of history would be great, to know how they this was discovered.

@rex-up9ln - 2023-10-04

It was invented, not discovered. Most probably

@jackhydrazine1376 - 2023-09-30

Here I thought the reaction was going to be molten potassium chlorate and screaming Jelly Babies!

@chemistryscience4320 - 2023-09-30

Hey So nice to see you back in action !!
On the intro i immediately remembered the distinct smell of aldehyde and acetic acid from the experiment haha.
Am i to obsessed with chemistry, or is these normal between us chemists xD ?

@SomeGuyInSandy - 2023-09-30

That's crazy!

@Novalight2550 - 2023-10-01

This needs a wide container and shot from above with a slow motion camera.

@COLOMBIANFIELDS - 2023-09-30

It sounds addictive

@SharpAssKnittingNeedles - 2023-10-01

Holy fuck what a beautiful reaction holy fucking shit! Wow smple displacement but still!! Beautiful to see!

@mamupelu565 - 2023-09-30

Wow there's always a fun experiment I've never seen before

@scrotiemcboogerballs1981 - 2023-09-30

Awesome thanks for sharing

@Hobbychemiefreak - 2023-09-30

1:29 I've learned and always assumed that it's sensible that it's not the manganese heptoxide floating up since it's so much denser then the sulfuric acid, but that it decomposes and produces ozone which then bubbles up. Is that wrong? Why would the manganese heptoxide float up?

@jeffreyyoung4104 - 2023-09-30

Sounds like something frying!

@markedis5902 - 2023-09-30

Nice one

@jeremycrochtiere6317 - 2023-12-31

Very interesting chemical Reaction

@devorakman112 - 2023-09-30

Need to get with the slo mo guys and get this in super slow mo

@LFTRnow - 2023-09-30

A few thoughts on this - did you try isopropyl alcohol? That's another easy to get for most people and cheap too. Some other variations I wonder about:
- if you can't get sulfuric, how about NaHSO4 dissolved near its solubility limit, and then use perhaps a light oil for the alcohol replacement?
- the top layer burns due to atmospheric exposure, why not try some ways to close it off? Perhaps a layer of shaving cream or something else that could float on top would block most oxygen, or maybe even a simple watchglass dish dropped on top would starve things enough. It might ignite, but it wouldn't last
- A comment mentioned inert gas fill, but you could combine this demo with the CO2 fire extinguisher (vinegar, baking soda, pour invisible gas demo) and pour it into the thunderstorm demo before dropping in the permanganate
- could you get color flashes by dissolving things in the top layer? Perhaps a copper salt for green, etc

Thanks for the fun demo! Worth the Patreon money :)

@EdwardTriesToScience - 2023-09-30

sodium bisulfate wouldn't work as the reaction procceds via a dehydration of the permanganic acid to manganese heptoxide unfortunately, and in an aqueous solution it simply will not dehydrate. solid sodium bisulfate also would not work as it isnt dehydrating like sulfuric acid is

@LFTRnow - 2023-10-01

@@EdwardTriesToScience Ah that is interesting. I had thought it was just being oxidized. I'm not too surprised a sulfuric acid substitute wouldn't work, but thought it would be interesting. Thanks for the clarification. Would love to learn more about my other suggestions.