Ruthenium Metal - Invulnerable to Aqua Regia

We show the element ruthenium and the interesting property that it is immune to hydrochloric acid and nitric acid. Even when combined to make the gold-dissolving acid "Aqua Regia" the element ruthenium is completely immune to it. So how do you dissolve ruthenium? Interestingly, ruthenium can be dissolved in a very simple household chemical: bleach!

This gives a glimpse into complex "rock paper scissors" game of chemistry. A substance like gold might be immune to bleach, but vulnerable to acid. While another metal, might have the opposite reactivity, being completely immune to acid, but vulnerable to bleach.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Ruthenium
• element
• gold
• aqua
• regia
• hydrochloric
• nitric
• acid
• bleach
• sodium
• hypochlorite

[MrPentatonicScale]

its cause bleach is basic

[NurdRage]

@MrPentatonicScale What does that have to do with anything? If you put ruthenium in sodium hydroxide, another base, it won't dissolve.

[gredangeo]

Yet, nobody mentions the glass beakers and tubes that hold everything in these vids. Thus, the ringleaders in strength.

[NurdRage]

@gredangeo I already destroy glass with drain cleaner in another video. hardly a ringleader. 

[gredangeo]

@NurdRage hmm. so is there not a single substance liquid or solid that can handle anything thrown at it? Or all they playing RPS with each other? :)

[NurdRage]

@gredangeo its all a rock paper scissors game.

[NurdRage]

@MrCarcallas Not "stronger" just different. Chemistry is weird and cool in that things can behave like a rock/paper/scissors game and something that's strong to one thing can be weak to another. For example Styrofoam is immune to water but dissolve in acetone. Acetone is not "stronger" than water it's just different. Salt is immune to acetone but will dissolve in water. Is water stronger than acetone? not really.

Same thing here, ruthenium is different than gold, and weak to bleach

[NurdRage]

@GTHaroFITBMX actually the bleach completely destroyed the metal. i've since converted it to ruthenium trichloride.

[ReconstitutionStudio]

Can you do a video with Tantalum?

[BwoiAndTheHillian]

I thought bleach was alkali, or am I thinking of pan cleaners

[yotynan]

did you try to use perchloric acid to dissolve it? or would there be any difference

[stbmoo]

@3ndlessSky

Goddamn Shit-talkers

[dmytrocool]

Is that bead like mercury? can it be into alot of little beads

[3ndlessSky]

@MrPentatonicScale Did you even pass Grade 10 science? Whitetrash faggot.