Fun/Dangerous Experiments (17)

These are elements I've done experiments with at one time or another: Click the sample pictures to read about them. Some of these experiments are quite dangerous, and will result in burns, chronic or acute poisoning, blindness or death. Unless, of course, you are careful and understand what you are doing, what the dangers are, and how to protect yourself. Danger is part of life: Respect it and it will let you live.

I would like to add a special note for any teenagers who are reading this section. One of the great things about teenagers is that you are, for the most part, biologically incapable of confronting your own mortality. And I mean that in the best possible way. I know you're perfectly well aware, in an intellectual sort of way, that you're human and that no one lives forever. But you don't really believe that, do you? You don't, and that's why you can go out and take chances, break barriers, change the world, in ways that more sensible people would be way too sensible for. That is your power: Use it. And some day in your late 20s or early 30s, you will stop in your tracks and for the first time in your life really understand death: Yours. It's scary, but it's how you grow.

That is the day you'll start wearing safety glasses when you do these experiments. In the mean time, all I can say is, please wear glasses anyway, even though you know in your heart that nothing could ever happen to you. Ideally they should be wrap-around safety glasses, but let's be realistic here: Any glasses are better than none. If you don't wear corrective lenses, find some good open-frame safety glasses at the hardware store. They are comfortable, don't steam up, and are much easier to clean than the goggle-type. If you'll actually wear those, that's way better than sealed goggle types you aren't wearing.

Why are glasses so important? Because having your cheeks ripped off by shrapnel, your hair burned to the roots, and your nose split open and folded up over your forehead is nothing, nothing compared to being blind for the rest of your life. Not even close.

On that note, here are some elements you can do great experiments with.

Click any element tile below to get the full entry for that element, or click on the sample picture to go directly to the description of that sample.

Text and images Copyright (c) 2010 by Theodore W. Gray.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen Bottle of Homemade hydrogen
Making hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis.

Source: Theodore Gray
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 20 August, 2002
Price: $0
Size: 2.5"
Purity: >90%
Lithium
Lithium Long-life AA battery
Burning foil from a lithium battery.

Source: Radio Shack
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 7 August, 2002
Price: $3
Size: 2"
Purity: <5%
Carbon
Carbon Pyrolytic graphite
Levitating pyrolytic graphite with magnets.

Source: Science Toys
Contributor: Ed Pegg Jr
Acquired: 15 April, 2002
Price: $2
Size: 1"
Purity: >99%
Nitrogen
Nitrogen Natural sample, 78% Pure
Playing with liquid nitrogen.

Source: Air
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 18 May, 2002
Price: $0/Free like the air we breathe
Size: 2.5"
Purity: 78%
Oxygen
Oxygen Mini welding gas cylinder
Burning steel.

Source: Hardware Store
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 5 August, 2002
Text Updated: 20 November, 2008
Price: $5
Size: 12"
Purity: >95%
Sodium
Sodium Heck-of-a-lump
Throwing a lump into a lake.

Source: eBay seller hoofcure
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 27 August, 2002
Price: $100
Size: 8"
Purity: >95%
Magnesium
Magnesium Bulk rod
Burning strips or bars.

Source: eBay seller magman1000
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 29 May, 2002
Price: $6/pound
Size: 1.25"
Purity: >95%
Aluminum
Aluminum Water drop blobs
Pouring molten aluminum into water.

Source: Hardware Store
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 15 April, 2002
Price: $1/foot
Size: 1.25"
Purity: >95%
Phosphorus
Phosphorus Kitchen matches
Match rockets.

Source: Grocery Store
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 12 June, 2002
Text Updated: 2 March, 2006
Price: $2
Size: 2"
Purity: <20%
Sulfur
Sulfur Flowers of sulfur
Making gunpowder.

Source: Walgreens Pharmacy
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 18 April, 2002
Text Updated: 16 March, 2007
Price: $2
Size: 2.5"
Purity: >95%
Sample Group: Powders+Medical
Zinc
Zinc Scrap roof flashing
Lost wax casting.

Source: Marco's Scrap Metal
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 15 April, 2002
Price: $1/pound for scrap zinc
Size: 1.25"
Purity: >90%
Silver
Silver One ounce silver rounds
Lost wax casting.

Source: Coin Shop in California
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 15 April, 2002
Price: $5/ounce
Size: 1.5"
Purity: 99.9%
Sample Group: Coins
Tin
Tin Crying bars
Making crying bars.

Source: Walmart
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 16 July, 2002
Price: $14/10 bags of weights
Size: 3"
Purity: >95%
Iodine
Iodine Small crystals,  99.99%
Making a contact explosive.

Source: David Franco
Contributor: David Franco
Acquired: 11 June, 2002
Price: Donated
Size: 0.05"
Purity: 99.99%
Neodymium
Neodymium Rare earth magnet
Levitating pyrolytic graphite with magnets.

Source: Force Field
Contributor: Ed Pegg Jr
Acquired: 15 April, 2002
Price: $3
Size: 0.5"
Purity: <35%
Lead
Lead Plumbing lead
Pouring molten lead into water.

Source: Hardware Store
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 15 April, 2002
Price: $1/pound
Size: 2.5"
Purity: >95%
Bismuth
Bismuth Home-grown crystals
Making crystals.

Source: Theodore Gray
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 11 August, 2002
Price: $10
Size: 2"
Purity: 99.9%