jdurg

Based on the fact that your initial solution had a low pH of 2.5, and the light peach color of it, I would guess that due to all the HNO3 you had added to the solution there were some nitrogen oxides in there (They are a brownish color) in a very low concentration that boiled out of solution when you put it on the hotplate. At least, that's the logical assumption one could make based on the information you've given.

Try not to jump while in a low-ceiling room. That should avoid the concussions.

I'm more comfortable calling them Lanthanoids and Actinoids so as to avoid confusion about the negatively charged ions of Lanthanum and Actinium.

You need to certify that you are an industrial, or educational institution. Wholesale chemical supplier will not sell directly to individuals. Too much liability on their part. As a result, your only option is to buy from sellers who purchased their supply from the wholesale suppliers. That results in an increased charge to get the product as those companies need to make money to stay alive. (http://www.unitednuclear.com is an example of this).

I think one would also have to consider the formation of Lithium Nitride when doing these reactions also. Lithium metal reacts with atmospheric nitrogen, so the product you get will have some Lithium Nitride mixed in. (Can't recall off the top of my head how Lithium Nitride reacts with water, even if it does). It's just something to take into account when doing your calculations.

Welcome to a very addicting hobby! If I had some extras, I would be happy to donate to you, but the only "extras" I have are some gold and platinum, and you really can't call those elements "extra". If you are looking for a place to purchase some samples, there are two that I used extensively in my collecting. One is unitednuclear.com, and the other is http://www.elementsales.com. The latter is run by a very good friend of mine who took our common hobby and turned it into a business. He offers VERY good quality samples and is also able to do custom samples if you need them. Some of the prices are somewhat high, but remember, he needs to make money to keep a business running, and the prices are fully worth it. Dave is a really great guy and knows his stuff quite well. His prices are much better than the prices offered by numerous other vendors out there.

If you truly want to learn more about radiation and nuclear sciences, Physics is really the best way to go. Nuclear chemistry is really quite limited, and while it's been a long, long time since I've taken a chemistry course, I believe that the basics of nuclear chemistry really just focus on the rates of decay, the types of decays, and how that decay affects the way the element/compound reacts. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'm jet-lagged, medicated, and not in a full state of mind. (Just got back from Lisbon last night).

Well, how far along have you gotten in your own process? We are here to help people out with their questions, but we will NOT do homework for people. If you are willing to show us what you've done so far, or where you are getting hung up, we will be more than willing to help you out. It's just that the manner in which you've made this post seems more like someone looking for an answer and not looking for help.

Because many, many, many, MANY scientists have done the reactions before and the key part of scientific research is documenting everything you do. Therefore, all they have to do is look it up in a book (if it's not something that they've already memorized) and they have the proper catalyst to use? Now how did that particular catalyst get discovered in the first place? Experimenting. For millenia scientists have tried using different chemicals to speed up the rates of reactions. Early on, it wasn't exactly safe or wise, but they would just take a random chemical and throw it into a mixture to see if it had any effect. Nowadays, the structure of the chemicals in use, the reaction pathways, and various other characteristics about the reaction itself are used to determine beforehand if a catalyst exists for that reaction and if it would work well.

Light always travels at c. The frequency of a lightwave can be calculated using the equation c = frequency x wavelength. The wavelength of a lightwave can be calculated by the equation E (energy) = h(Planck's Constant) x v (frequency). So because Planck's constant and the speed of light are set constants, when light loses energy (E gets lower) the frequency of the light would have to decrease. (If the total energy of the light was 20, and Planck's constant was set at 2, then the frequency would be equal to 10. If the total energy dropped down to 10, then the frequency would drop to 5 in order to keep things equal). So if the frequency drops, then the wavelength would have to increase. As a result, the light would go from violet to red if the transition was in the visible range. When light loses energy, the wavelength of the light will increase. Theoretically, one could take UV Radiation and pass it through a medium which would absorb energy from it and make it visible.

Ahhh. I had forgotten the composition of baking powder.

To see any appreciable fizz from baking powder or soda, the water must be acidic. Otherwise, what is the reaction that will lead to Na2CO3, or NaHCO3 forming CO2 gas?

Thanks John. You just made me really thirsty for some homemade ginger ale, but it takes a good week to make it properly.

I don't think that's an absolute statement that is true for every instance. For example, in the example given earlier, if T2O decays, I believe that the Helium becomes freed from the chemical bond (as the decay of T provides enough energy to break the bond) and the result is a couple free radicals which make it just as nasty.