Dissolving a Chicken's Foot in Concentrated Sodium Hydroxide

[Jump to 1:45 to skip the boring process of dissolving solid NaOH flakes in water]

To demonstrate the corrosive effects of sodium hydroxide, we decided to submerge a chicken's foot in concentrated sodium hydroxide solution and see how long it took to dissolve.

To our pleasant surprise, the chicken's foot was stripped to the bone within just a couple of minutes. The stench, however, was overpowering. We had to perform the experiment outdoors, with a fan blowing the vapors away from us.

Disclaimer: This video was made for educational purposes only. Do NOT try this experiment yourself; it is extremely dangerous. The solution easily dissolved the skin, muscle and tendons of a chicken's foot and will do exactly the same to your finger. If it gets into your eye, you may very well be blinded. We are experienced handlers of dangerous chemicals, we took every safety precaution possible and conducted the experiment under adult supervision.

We hope you enjoy the video!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Dissolve
• Chicken
• Foot
• NaOH
• Lye
• Caustic
• Soda
• Concentrated
• Sodium
• Hydroxide
• SJC
• Saint
• Joseph's
• College
• Science
• Society
• Experiment
• Demonstration
• Chemistry

[djk22033]

uhh just curious how exactly did you...get a chicken foot..

[TheScienceSociety]

@djk22033 The experiment was done in Hong Kong - a place where people eat chicken's feet. We got it at the local supermarket!

[animebryan]

KFC, we do chicken right!

[mikeytheaznking]

starts at 1:48

Yeah, put this here because stirring was making me angry

[Ja60bGmod]

ooooh cool the flesh came right of the bones :D

[TheCupCakeIcing]

Is anyone else a little petrafied by the chicken foot?? O.e .......

[fuelban]

Very interesting video guys, I use KOH in my HHo Cells, so it is good to SEE just how doggy it is. thanks.

Thom in Scotland.

[fuelban]

@djk22033 LOL, 

[FanOfHoneydew]

It looks like a witches finger, love the vid bro. Crazy cool experiment, now put a strip of magnesium over a bunson, JUST DON'T LOOK DIRECTLY AT IT

[THCIFilms]

SKIP TO 1:45

[CaitlinsComicsAlt]

So that's how KFC makes their fried chicken...

[dandylion1216]

Interesting video. I have been working with lye for years making soap. I noticed that you poured water onto the lye, instead of dissolving the lye little-by-little into the water. Pouring water onto lye can explode.

[DivisibleByWaffle]

And this, my friends, is why you always wear your goggles while working in the lab!

[frank1990007]

Eka's Portal, will be proud of this.