Hard to find anymore unless you go to a large chain or specialty shop but
they have the chemicals that are needed for some showy experiments liek
sticking broken glass together, turning two clear liquids to a red, etc but
most of the "real cool" things like sulfur, pot. ferrocyanide,
hydrochloric/sulfuric acids (or hydrogen peroxide for that) are all removed.
About the most dangerous now is 5% acetic acid (vinegar) and sodium bicarb.
Ooh that's neat....lets do what happens inside dad's gut when he takes alka
selter after eating too much. BORING.
My set (many parts still in a box at my parent's) had neat stuff that I
could make gunpowder, eat through metal with a semi strong acid, etc. It was
a Gilbert branded set - wonder if they're even in business yet?
FWIW my cousin never hurt himself as a kid with all the crap we mixed - he
waited until he was dault and while bleaching the toilet (poured bleach in
the water and let it sit - we all do this) he was done mopping his kitchen
and wanted to dump the old AMMONIA water...
Duh-duh-duh...duh-duh-duh-duh-daaa (just the facts ma'am) - he had chemical
burns to his eyes, nose throat and lungs. Took nearly a year for most of it
to heal completely and they said that if he had gone to take a nap and the
chlorine gas built up it could have killed him.
-> -----Original Message-----
-> I remember old chemistry sets came with sodium ferrocyanide. The
-> bottles all said "DO NOT MIX WITH ACID" with no explanation given,
-> which probably lead to a few children trying it to see what happens.
->
-> Fortunately the acids available in the chemistry sets weren't very
-> concentrated, as a strong acid mixed with sodium ferrocyanide can
-> produce cyanide gas, esp. when the solution is exposed to heat or
-> direct sunlight. Also fortunate is the bond between the iron and
-> the cyanide in sodium ferrocyanide is very strong.
->
-> I wonder if children's chemistry sets still come with all the
-> interesting chemicals?
-> --
-> Eric Dittman
-> dittman_at_dittman.net
-> Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at
http://www.dittman.net/
->
Received on Tue Nov 06 2001 - 07:48:22 GMT