Chemical Dominoes
Chemical DOMINOES
For this project we had to create a Rube Goldberg Machine, out out of chemical reactions and not physical ones. Through a series of chemical explosions, color changes, and state changes we achieved our end goal.
We decided to make a light bulb light up at the end of our system. We created a circuit that prevents the bulb from lighting up when two ends are attached to an aluminum piece. There is a reaction that can alter the aluminum piece and break the circuit. To pour the solution onto the aluminum to break the circuit, we made another reaction to fill a balloon with gas to push several levers which help pour this solution. There are also two middle reactions that can be seen between the balloon and aluminum circuit reactions. The first creates a visual change between two solutions and another lights a medium size fire.
Step 1: Balloon Expansion
The goal here is to fill up a balloon with gas when these two substances mix. Vinegar and baking soda produce a gas when combined and that gas fills up the balloon which begins the next step.
Step 2: What just happened?
This step is both chemistry and physics. We liked this reaction because it creates a yellow pigment from two completely clear substances and it acts as a catalyst for the next steps.
As the balloon tilts up the lever above it, it pours down lead nitrate into potassium iodide which react with each other.
Step 3: Fire!
We had one cup with a small amount of alcohol on fire and then a bucket of soap bubbles. As the mass change from step 2 pushes the levers, it drops the fire into the bubble vat and creates a decent sized flame for a short period of time.
Step 4: The Light
Our final step of the chemical dominoes takes a bit of time. One solution gets tilted onto aluminum and eventually breaks the aluminum, which then completes the circuit and turns the LED light on.
Step 1 Chemistry:
Vinegar is diluted acetic acid(CH3COOH) and baking soda is sodium bicarbonate(NaHCO3). When combined, they undergo two reactions. The first is a double displacement reaction, a reaction where two elements of two products switch in the reaction, which produces sodium acetate(CH3COONa) and carbonic acid(H2CO3).
Reaction 1 Equation: NaHCO3 + CH3COOH --> CH3COONa + H2CO3
Then the second reaction occurs. This one is a decomposition of the unstable carbonic acid. The carbonic acid breaks down into carbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide then inflates the balloon.
Reaction 2 Equation: H2CO3 --> H2O + CO2
Step 2 Chemistry + Physics:
Lead nitrate[2Pb(NO3)2] combine in a double displacement reaction with potassium iodide(KI) to create a solid pigment and another substance. The pigment created is lead iodide and that is what makes the yellow color.
Reaction Equation: 2Pb(NO3)2 + KI --> 2PbI2 + K(NO3)2
The physics part of this step is that the change in mass on cup that contains both solutions creates a larger force on it's part of the lever and moves the levers connected to it.
Step 3 Chemistry:
The bubbles are made from diluted dish soap. Since the bubbles contain a small membrane of dish soap, they are able to be caught on fire. The fire then spreads out to the rest of the bubbles until all of them have been popped and burned.
Step 4 Chemistry:
The solution poured onto the aluminum was copper chloride[Cu(Cl)2]. The two underwent a single displacement reaction, which created copper to break the aluminum, and aluminum chloride as a liquid.
Reaction Equation: Cu(Cl)2 + Al --> Al(Cl)2 + Cu'
Reflection:
This project went very well.It was like our original rube Goldberg Project but just with some added chemistry. Our group very quickly developed our ideas worked very well. We did have some trouble with always staying on task. Some individuals got sidetracked and then just started to talk and sometimes even complains about working conditions. We also had trouble making good use of our time for the project. At the same time I believe our group developed an idea that wasn't too ambitious so that we would be able to get it done on time. We also efficiently tested our project so that it did not take very many trials to perfect it. Overall it was fun, even with the distractions, and our group had a great time.
For this project we had to create a Rube Goldberg Machine, out out of chemical reactions and not physical ones. Through a series of chemical explosions, color changes, and state changes we achieved our end goal.
We decided to make a light bulb light up at the end of our system. We created a circuit that prevents the bulb from lighting up when two ends are attached to an aluminum piece. There is a reaction that can alter the aluminum piece and break the circuit. To pour the solution onto the aluminum to break the circuit, we made another reaction to fill a balloon with gas to push several levers which help pour this solution. There are also two middle reactions that can be seen between the balloon and aluminum circuit reactions. The first creates a visual change between two solutions and another lights a medium size fire.
Step 1: Balloon Expansion
The goal here is to fill up a balloon with gas when these two substances mix. Vinegar and baking soda produce a gas when combined and that gas fills up the balloon which begins the next step.
Step 2: What just happened?
This step is both chemistry and physics. We liked this reaction because it creates a yellow pigment from two completely clear substances and it acts as a catalyst for the next steps.
As the balloon tilts up the lever above it, it pours down lead nitrate into potassium iodide which react with each other.
Step 3: Fire!
We had one cup with a small amount of alcohol on fire and then a bucket of soap bubbles. As the mass change from step 2 pushes the levers, it drops the fire into the bubble vat and creates a decent sized flame for a short period of time.
Step 4: The Light
Our final step of the chemical dominoes takes a bit of time. One solution gets tilted onto aluminum and eventually breaks the aluminum, which then completes the circuit and turns the LED light on.
Step 1 Chemistry:
Vinegar is diluted acetic acid(CH3COOH) and baking soda is sodium bicarbonate(NaHCO3). When combined, they undergo two reactions. The first is a double displacement reaction, a reaction where two elements of two products switch in the reaction, which produces sodium acetate(CH3COONa) and carbonic acid(H2CO3).
Reaction 1 Equation: NaHCO3 + CH3COOH --> CH3COONa + H2CO3
Then the second reaction occurs. This one is a decomposition of the unstable carbonic acid. The carbonic acid breaks down into carbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide then inflates the balloon.
Reaction 2 Equation: H2CO3 --> H2O + CO2
Step 2 Chemistry + Physics:
Lead nitrate[2Pb(NO3)2] combine in a double displacement reaction with potassium iodide(KI) to create a solid pigment and another substance. The pigment created is lead iodide and that is what makes the yellow color.
Reaction Equation: 2Pb(NO3)2 + KI --> 2PbI2 + K(NO3)2
The physics part of this step is that the change in mass on cup that contains both solutions creates a larger force on it's part of the lever and moves the levers connected to it.
Step 3 Chemistry:
The bubbles are made from diluted dish soap. Since the bubbles contain a small membrane of dish soap, they are able to be caught on fire. The fire then spreads out to the rest of the bubbles until all of them have been popped and burned.
Step 4 Chemistry:
The solution poured onto the aluminum was copper chloride[Cu(Cl)2]. The two underwent a single displacement reaction, which created copper to break the aluminum, and aluminum chloride as a liquid.
Reaction Equation: Cu(Cl)2 + Al --> Al(Cl)2 + Cu'
Reflection:
This project went very well.It was like our original rube Goldberg Project but just with some added chemistry. Our group very quickly developed our ideas worked very well. We did have some trouble with always staying on task. Some individuals got sidetracked and then just started to talk and sometimes even complains about working conditions. We also had trouble making good use of our time for the project. At the same time I believe our group developed an idea that wasn't too ambitious so that we would be able to get it done on time. We also efficiently tested our project so that it did not take very many trials to perfect it. Overall it was fun, even with the distractions, and our group had a great time.