Any INTERESTING gas-forming reactions?

[hitmankratos]

Hi,

 

So for our next lab this week in chemistry, we were asked to look around and find out about gas-forming reactions. Our teacher said that we can do pretty much any reactions (even those that smell bad or "explode", as long as it is done in very small quantities in a controlled envriomment), so I was wondering if anyone knows any gas forming reactions like that?

It's ok if they don't smell, or explode or anything, any gas-forming reaction is welcome. I just want to get as many as I can before the lab.

 

Thanks in advance for any help whatsoever.

[mississippichem]

Zinc metal reacted with aqueous hydrochloric acid yields hydrogen gas and aqueous zinc chloride. It occurs spontaneously at room temperature and is ideal for a classroom demonstration.

[Horza2002]

Adding to what mississippichem said, you can then collect the hydogen has given off in a stoppered test tube and put a lighted splint in to give you a small explosion of hydrogen. And it squeaks loudly...always fun.

 

If you have a fumehood in the lab then you could always try the volcano experiment. Use a magnesium flare to ignite a small pile of ammonium dichromate (which is bright orange). Then sit back and watch a mini volcano in your fumehood as large amounts of nitrogen gas are released (see video below).

 

 

If you do that, then I must stress you ONLY do it in a fumehood (unlike in that video) seeing as ammonium dichromateis VERY VERY toxic and explosive; properly best if you let your teacher do it.

Edited October 7, 2010 by Horza2002

[skyhook]

baking soda and vinegar , put in a bottle, stopper it, and shake it a bit.

Edited October 7, 2010 by skyhook

[Leader Bee]

Electrolysis of salt water* should produce hydrogen bubbles, given the correct equipment you could collect the gas seperately.

 

* Salt water because pure water itself is a poor conductor of electricity.

Edited October 7, 2010 by Leader Bee

[CaptainPanic]

You can try to make charcoal.

 

Note that the gases you create in that reaction are very flammable and/or explosive.

[Mr Skeptic]

You can try to make charcoal.

 

Note that the gases you create in that reaction are very flammable and/or explosive.

 

And also some CO which is toxic, colorless, odorless, and also flammable/explosive.

[CaptainPanic]

And also some CO which is toxic, colorless, odorless, and also flammable/explosive.

I should have mentioned that myself - thanks for adding it.

It's not just "some" CO. It's a significant amount: CO is one of the main components in the gas, but the amount depends on the temperature used in the reaction.

[PBatoon]

You could look up on youtube what is called "Elephant Toothpase"

 

What it is, is a redox rxn that produces O2 from H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) and KI (potassium iodide). You'd need to be careful though because the type of Hydrogen peroxide the experiment demands is a high concentration that can be corrosive. BUT it does produce an extremely cool visual result.

[rogerxd45]

if you add Manganese dioxide to hydrogen peroxide it catalyses the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide to produce oxygen and water

2 H2O2 → 2 H2O + O2

 

also if you want to make a lot of chlorine gas take some calcium hypochlorite and mix it with hydrochloric acid and you get lots of chlorine gas (there are other compounds besides the calcium hypochlorite but it seems to produce more chlorine gas then bleach/sodium hypochlorite)

Just make sure this is done under a fume hood