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A few questions that need answers...


aommaster

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Hi guys!

 

Well, I did well in my GCSEs and nowm I have gone to do A level chemistry, physics and maths!

 

Well, I asked my teacher on what would be produced if you boiled off the water in sulphuric acid, since it is AQ. She didn't know and told me to boil it so she could find out. Even after the experiment, she didn't know, so question one is, what WOULD be produced?

 

Now, while I was boiling it, it was boiling like normal water until the end where there were about 10cm3 left. It went stable. So, I took out a stirring rod, and started to stir it. Bubbles suddenly erupted from around the rod. When I removed it out, the bubbles stop, when I put it back in, it bubbles again. I think this is the effect of super-heating, but I am not sure. What was happening? That's the second question!

 

Then, the exiting part (and scary), 5 minutes after more heating, white smoke started to erupt from the beaker. It has a sharp smell to it, like the smell you get from HCl and Chlorine, but, it was worse.

 

We had to take the beaker outside and empty the chemistry lab!!! (Only a friend and I were there, so, not a lot of hassle!). What was that smoke that was produced? And how was it formed? Those are questions 3 and 4!

 

Finally, after the smoke stopped, I examined the beaker and there was a yellowinsh liquid in it. It was transparent, but yellow. What was that liquid? Was it concentrated sulphuric acid? That's the last question!

 

Thanks alot guys! MY first lesson in a chemistry class seems like a fairytale!!! :):D

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It seems to be most pple teaching chemistry are not qualified enough. Luckily we had only one Brilliant Old Experience Geezer. who could teach Physics and Chemistry and had answers to all of your questions. He could have been a Uni lecturer. so every other chemistry and physics teacher used to run up to him everytime they encountered a hard question

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*Sigh* I only have done stuff with H2SO4 during a chemistry lesson once in my life, and it was 5-10% or something. :(

 

About the yellow color: Isn't superconcentrated sulfuric acid just plain transparent, without the shade of yellow? Could it be that with enough heat H2SO4 says "screw this, I'm outta here" and turns into water vapor (H2O) and sulfur trioxide which causes the yellow shade? Since I don't think H2SO4 maintains its molecular form when it becomes gaseous. Or maybe it does. Heck, maybe it's just better to ask YT. :D

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boiling sulphuric acid untill dense white fumes comes off gives it about a concentration of 98% then you stop boiling the yellow tint might be the sulphur breaking down if you have heated it to long thats all i can say about the yellow tint it may be wrong or unless it had some impurites in the glass you used or the sulphuric acid, but the dense white fumes is the sign that its about 98% concentrated

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oh yes what you have taken for as courses i took similar ones biology chemistry and maths unless you understand them clearly and you are very good at the subjects i would advise you dont take them they are nothing like GCSE's they get much harder

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Hmm, I think it is. Is it possible for it to break up into a sulfur atom and an ozone molecule? Or SO + O2? I don't think SO is a gas.

 

And about the bubbling, if it's really conc. H2SO4, it's as vicious as a rabid wolverine and attacks anything it can. :) It might also be that the yellow came from the impurities.

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it was most probably some other chemical on it used in a previous experiment and not washed propley at my college that happend quit often and so we made sure we washed the appiratus when we came to use it other wise the experiments would be ruined eg titrations

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