Making a squishy rubber bouncy ball from scratch
TLDRIn this intriguing experiment, the creator demonstrates the process of making a bouncy ball from sodium hydroxide and sulfur, resulting in a dark orange polysulfide mixture. After cooling and adding 1,2-dichloroethane, the mixture transforms into Thiokol rubber, forming a squishy, albeit rectangular, bouncy cube. Despite the unexpected shape, the final product is a testament to the fascinating world of chemical reactions.
Takeaways
- 🧪 The experiment begins with adding 300mL of water to a beaker and initiating stirring.
- 🧼 Sodium hydroxide, a drain cleaner, is added to the water and allowed to dissolve completely.
- 🔥 A hot plate is used to heat the mixture once the sodium hydroxide has dissolved.
- 🔬 Sulfur is slowly added to the mixture, reacting with the sodium hydroxide to form soluble polysulfides.
- ⏳ The reaction is slow, taking approximately 30 minutes for most of the sulfur to react.
- 🍊 The resulting mixture is a dark orange color, indicating the formation of polysulfides.
- 🚱 Unreacted sulfur sinks to the bottom and is removed by decanting the dark liquid into another beaker.
- 🌡 The liquid is left to cool for about 40 minutes before proceeding to the next step.
- 🧪 1,2-dichloroethane is added to the cooled liquid, triggering a rapid color change and the formation of a solid.
- 🔄 The solid, identified as Thiokol rubber, forms a clump that grows over 20 minutes of stirring.
- 🎾 The final product is a rubbery cube rather than a round bouncy ball, despite the initial expectation.
- 💦 The cube is washed in water to remove residual chemicals before being presented as a bouncy cube.
Q & A
What is the initial volume of water added to the beaker at the start of the experiment?
-The initial volume of water added to the beaker is 300mL.
What is the purpose of stirring the mixture in the beaker?
-Stirring helps to ensure that the sodium hydroxide drain cleaner dissolves evenly and reacts properly with the sulfur.
What type of drain cleaner is used in the experiment?
-Sodium hydroxide drain cleaner is used in the experiment.
How much sulfur is added to the mixture in total?
-A total of 30 grams of sulfur is added to the mixture.
What is the expected reaction between sulfur and sodium hydroxide?
-The sulfur is expected to react with the sodium hydroxide to form a mixture of molecules called polysulfides.
What color does the mixture turn after most of the sulfur has reacted?
-The mixture turns dark orange after most of the sulfur has reacted.
How long does it take for most of the sulfur to react with the sodium hydroxide?
-It takes about 30 minutes for most of the sulfur to react with the sodium hydroxide.
What is the method used to remove the unreacted sulfur from the mixture?
-The unreacted sulfur is removed by pouring out just the dark liquid into another beaker, leaving the sulfur at the bottom.
What substance is added after the mixture has cooled down to make the bouncy ball?
-1,2-dichloroethane is added to the cooled mixture to initiate the formation of the bouncy ball material.
What is the final product of the experiment described in the script?
-The final product is a rubbery cube, referred to as a 'bouncy cube' instead of a 'bouncy ball' due to its shape.
Why does the final product end up being a cube instead of a ball?
-The final product is a cube because the process of clumping and forming a solid shape in the beaker resulted in a rectangular form rather than a spherical one.
What is the purpose of washing the final product in water?
-Washing the final product in water is done to try and remove some of the residual chemicals from the rubbery cube.
How long does it take for the mixture to cool down before adding 1,2-dichloroethane?
-It takes about 40 minutes for the mixture to cool down before the addition of 1,2-dichloroethane.
What is the name of the rubber material formed during the experiment?
-The rubber material formed during the experiment is called Thiokol rubber.
How long does it take for the Thiokol rubber to form a solid chunk in the beaker?
-It takes about 20 minutes for the Thiokol rubber to form a solid chunk in the beaker.
Outlines
🧪 Preparing the Polysulfide Solution
The script begins with the preparation of a chemical reaction mixture. The experimenter starts by adding 300mL of water to a beaker and turns on the stirring mechanism. Sodium hydroxide drain cleaner is then added and allowed to dissolve completely. Once dissolved, the mixture is heated on a hot plate. Sulfur is slowly added to the mixture, reacting with the sodium hydroxide to form soluble polysulfides in water. This slow process takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, resulting in a dark orange mixture. After the reaction, unreacted sulfur sinks to the bottom and is removed by decanting the liquid into another beaker, leaving behind the polysulfide solution.
🔥 Cooling Down and Initiating the Rubber Formation
Following the formation of the polysulfide solution, the experimenter waits for it to cool down for about 40 minutes. Once cooled, the next step is to create a bouncy ball by adding 1,2-dichloroethane to the solution. Initially, there is no visible change, but then the color of the mixture quickly changes, indicating the beginning of the rubber formation process. The mixture starts to solidify into a mass called Thiokol rubber, which begins to clump and form a shape within the beaker.
🎾 Formation and Extraction of the Rubber Object
The script describes the process of waiting for the rubber to fully form within the beaker, which appears at first as a mess but eventually clumps together into a larger mass. Over 20 minutes, this mass grows in size, eventually forming a shape that is intended to be a bouncy ball. However, the final product is more rectangular than spherical. The experimenter then stops the stirring and attempts to extract the rubber object, washing it in water to remove residual chemicals. The result is a squishy, somewhat bouncy cube, which, despite not being perfectly round, still possesses the desired properties of elasticity and bounce.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Sodium Hydroxide
💡Stirring
💡Hot Plate
💡Sulfur
💡Polysulfides
💡Unreacted Sulfur
💡Beaker
💡Stir Bar
💡1,2-Dichloroethane
💡Thiokol Rubber
💡Bouncy Ball
Highlights
Starting the process by adding 300mL of water to a beaker and turning on the stirring.
Adding sodium hydroxide drain cleaner and waiting for it to dissolve completely.
Turning on the hot plate to heat the mixture.
Slowly adding 30g of sulfur to the mixture to react with sodium hydroxide.
Formation of polysulfides, a soluble mixture of molecules, from the reaction of sulfur and sodium hydroxide.
The slow reaction process taking approximately 30 minutes for most of the sulfur to react.
Obtaining a dark orange mixture after the reaction, with unreacted sulfur sinking to the bottom.
Pouring out the dark liquid to separate it from the unreacted sulfur.
Adding a stir bar and waiting for the mixture to cool down for about 40 minutes.
Introducing 1,2-dichloroethane to initiate the formation of Thiokol rubber.
Observing a quick color change and the emergence of solid material indicating the formation of Thiokol rubber.
The formation of a rubbery mass that clumps and rolls around the beaker over 20 minutes.
The rubbery mass growing in size until it is considered ready.
Turning off the stirring and attempting to remove the rubbery mass from the beaker.
The final product is more rectangular than expected, rather than a perfect ball.
Washing the rubbery cube in water to remove residual chemicals.
The final product, a squishy rubbery cube, is not as round as a bouncy ball but still expected to bounce.
The experiment results in a bouncy cube instead of a bouncy ball.
Transcripts
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