Elementary Productions: Thunder in a test tube

In this experiment, a layer of ethanol is placed on top of concentrated sulfuric acid in a test tube. As Potassium Permanganate is introduced to the test- tube, a vigorous reaction starts. The Potassium Permanganate reacts with the sulfuric acid to give Manganese Heptoxide. Manganese Heptoxide is a very unstable compound that rapidly decomposes into Ozone. A combination of Ozone and Manganese Heptoxide reacts with the Ethanol, and Oxidises it to Ethanal (Acetaldehyde)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Potassium
• permanganate
• sulfuric
• acid
• ethanol
• manganese
• heptoxide
• oxidation
• ethanal
• acetaldehyde
• thunder
• test
• tube
• awesome
• chemistry
• interesting
• experiment
• cool
• chemical

[awol09]

does it need to be anhydrous ethanol? or can it be like 70-80 percent?

[mabakken]

To be honest I don't know, but I think that the Ethanol needs to be as pure as at least 95%.

[littleangelgg]

Mabakken,

I used 98% H2SO4 and 95% Ethanol, but there's only gas bubble forming exothermically, with one or two spark every minute. How can you get so much sparks?!

Also, how did you chuck the reaction mixture away safely? Could unreacted Mn2O7 and ethanol start an explosion in open area, where there's enough oxygen around?

[mabakken]

Hmm...sounds strange to me that your results differ that much from mine when you use those concentrations. Have you tried the experiment several times?

What I do when the reaction has gone to completion is that I throw the whole mixture into a bath of cold water. The potassium permanganate formed from the hydrolysis of MN2O7 is reduced using Sodium metabisulfite, and the acid is neutralized with a base.  By doing this, the resulting solution (and colloid of MnO2) can be flushed down the drain

[blkmirror]

Ok I got no crackle/flashes at all....just a brownish liquid boiling slowly in the exotherm.

[mabakken]

Was the Sulfuric acid and Ethanol concentrated enough?

[Bluemerlycat]

I am definately going to try this at school tomorrow! :-)

[jamalamack]

I am craving pop rocks after this video

[sanerdiptej]

what's the cause of lightning? sorry.. i am an amateur..

[pokemewlover]

That is not thunder, its lightning

[Pigvalvee]

WoW

[Zink575]

@ijr1995 Do you want someone to applaud your elementary knowledge of weather patterns? Is that what you're looking for?

[diapysik]

@littleangelgg ok you need to make sure the ethanol and H2SO4 layers dont mix or it will not work

[LifeIsForTheLiving]

how long will it last?

[CarnalDiafragma]

@adriiPortillo

Well it actually did work, you just have to be morge careful while pouring in, to keep the two layers. The result is shown in one of my videos.