Blue Sodium Chloride - Periodic Table of Videos

Periodic Videos

1 Feb 202306:02

Summary

TLDRIn an intriguing experiment, Neil and the narrator attempt to create a blue sodium chloride using a eutectic mixture of sodium and potassium chlorides. They heat the mixture until it melts, then introduce a grain of metallic sodium, which causes a bright flash and the formation of a bluish hue. The experiment suggests that excess sodium or nanoparticles of metallic sodium could be responsible for the color change. Despite the final product not being as blue as expected, the experiment successfully demonstrates the alteration of material properties through chemical variations.

Takeaways

📧 The video starts with an email from an acquaintance named Artem, suggesting a method to turn sodium chloride (NaCl) blue.
🔬 The recipe involves mixing sodium chloride with potassium chloride and heating the mixture until it melts, utilizing the concept of a eutectic mixture.
🌡 The melting point of pure sodium chloride is higher than that of a test tube, but when mixed with potassium chloride, the mixture melts at a lower temperature.
🔥 Neil heats the mixture, which initially melts at the bottom while the top remains solid, requiring additional heat from a gas gun to fully melt the mixture.
💡 Upon adding a grain of metallic sodium to the molten salt, there is a bright flash of light, indicating a chemical reaction.
🟦 After the sodium dissolves, a bluish color appears on one side of the test tube, suggesting that the experiment has partially succeeded in creating blue sodium chloride.
🧪 The experiment suggests that the blue coloration could be due to excess sodium creating spare electrons, or the formation of fine nanoparticles of metallic sodium.
🛠 To remove the cooled mixture from the test tube, Neil uses a hammer, indicating the mixture's solidification.
🧩 The final product is a mixture of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium, with the sodium chloride appearing slightly blue.
🤔 There is some debate over why the sodium chloride turns blue, with two main theories presented in the video.
💧 Adding water to the final product causes fizzing, which is likely due to the reaction of excess sodium with water.
📚 Both Neil and the narrator feel they have learned something new about the properties of materials and how altering their composition can change these properties.

Q & A

What was the main purpose of the experiment described in the script?
-The main purpose of the experiment was to create a blue-colored sodium chloride using a recipe that involves mixing sodium chloride and potassium chloride and heating it.
Why is it challenging to melt pure sodium chloride?
-Pure sodium chloride is challenging to melt because its melting point is higher than the melting point of a typical test tube, making it difficult to heat without breaking the container.
What is a eutectic mixture and how does it relate to the experiment?
-A eutectic mixture is a mixture of two or more substances that melts at a lower temperature than either of its pure components. In the experiment, mixing sodium chloride with potassium chloride forms a eutectic mixture that melts at a lower temperature, facilitating the heating process.
What additional tool did Neil use to heat the mixture effectively?
-Neil used an extra gas gun to heat the mixture effectively, especially since the bottom part of the mixture began to melt while the top part remained solid.
What was the significance of adding a grain of metallic sodium to the molten salt?
-Adding a grain of metallic sodium to the molten salt was a crucial step in the recipe to induce a chemical reaction that resulted in the formation of a blue color in the sodium chloride.
Why did the test tube bend during the experiment?
-The test tube bent due to the intense heat from the gas gun, which caused the glass to soften and bend without breaking, as glass does not have a precise melting point.
What color change was observed in the test tube after adding sodium?
-After adding sodium, a bluish color appeared on one side of the test tube, indicating that the sodium was reacting with the molten salt mixture.
What are the two main theories proposed for the blue coloration of sodium chloride in the experiment?
-The two main theories are: 1) the presence of excess sodium providing spare electrons, causing the solid to turn blue, similar to sodium dissolved in liquid ammonia, and 2) the formation of very fine nanoparticles of metallic sodium distributed throughout the solid, which appear blue.
What happened when water was added to the cooled sodium chloride?
-When water was added to the cooled sodium chloride, there was some fizzing, which is likely due to the reaction of excess sodium with water, producing hydrogen gas and sodium hydroxide.
What did Neil and the narrator learn from the experiment?
-Neil and the narrator learned that materials like sodium chloride can have different properties, such as color, when altered with additional elements like sodium or chlorine, demonstrating the versatility of materials and their properties.
What was the final step described in the script after the experiment?
-The final step described was putting the remaining sodium into a cold bath to stop the ammonia from boiling off, indicating a safety measure to handle the reactive metal.

Outlines

00:00

🧪 Experimenting with Sodium Chloride and Potassium Chloride

In this paragraph, the narrator and Neil embark on an experiment to create a blue-colored sodium chloride. They receive a vague recipe from an acquaintance, Artem, which involves mixing sodium chloride with potassium chloride and heating the mixture until it melts. The narrator explains that the mixture forms a eutectic mixture, melting at a lower temperature than either pure compound. As the mixture heats, it becomes molten, and they introduce a grain of metallic sodium, causing a bright flash and the emission of sodium vapor, which glows orange. After the sodium dissolves, a bluish color appears in the test tube, indicating partial success. The experiment concludes with the mixture being cooled and extracted using a hammer, revealing a slightly blue sodium chloride. The narrator discusses two possible explanations for the blue color: excess sodium creating spare electrons or the presence of fine nanoparticles of metallic sodium. The experiment demonstrates the variability in materials' properties, such as color, when their chemical composition is altered.

05:02

🔍 Exploring the Properties of Modified Sodium Chloride

This paragraph delves into the implications of the experiment conducted in the previous paragraph. The narrator and Neil reflect on the lesson learned from the experiment, which is that materials like sodium chloride (NaCl) can have altered properties when their chemical composition is changed slightly, such as having more sodium or chlorine. The narrator also mentions Brady, who always learns from experiments, and transitions into a different part of the experiment involving cutting sodium and placing it into a cold bath to prevent ammonia from boiling off. The paragraph ends with the preparation of sodium chunks for further experimentation, highlighting the iterative and exploratory nature of scientific inquiry.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Sodium Chloride

Sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt, is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl. In the video, it is the primary substance being manipulated to achieve a blue color, which is unusual for regular sodium chloride. The experiment aims to alter its typical white appearance by introducing other elements and conditions.

💡Potassium Chloride

Potassium chloride is another ionic compound with the chemical formula KCl, often used in various applications including as a fertilizer and a food supplement. In the context of the video, it is mixed with sodium chloride to create a eutectic mixture, which melts at a lower temperature, facilitating the experimental process.

💡Eutectic Mixture

A eutectic mixture is a combination of two or more substances that melts at a lower temperature than any of the individual components. In the video, the mixture of sodium chloride and potassium chloride is referred to as a eutectic mixture, allowing the experimenters to melt it more easily for their procedure.

💡Melting Point

The melting point is the temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid. The video discusses the melting points of sodium chloride and potassium chloride, noting that the eutectic mixture of these two has a lower melting point than either pure substance, which is crucial for the experiment's execution.

💡Metallic Sodium

Metallic sodium is a highly reactive metal, represented by the chemical symbol Na. In the script, a grain of metallic sodium is added to the molten salt mixture, causing a bright flash of light and a chemical reaction that contributes to the blue coloration of the sodium chloride.

💡Sodium Vapor

Sodium vapor refers to the gaseous state of sodium, which emits an orange color when heated, as seen in sodium lamps. The video mentions the orange color of sodium vapor as an indicator of the high temperature reached during the experiment.

💡Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles are particles between 1 and 100 nanometers in size. The video suggests that the blue coloration of the sodium chloride may be due to the formation of fine nanoparticles of metallic sodium distributed throughout the solid, which can give a blue appearance.

💡Electron

An electron is a subatomic particle with a negative charge that orbits the nucleus of an atom. The script discusses the possibility that excess sodium provides spare electrons, which could contribute to the blue coloration of the solid sodium chloride.

💡Chemical Formula

A chemical formula represents the composition of a substance using chemical symbols and numbers. The video mentions that materials like NaCl are typically thought to have precise chemical formulas, but the experiment shows that variations in composition can lead to different properties, such as color.

💡Experiment

An experiment is a scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact. The video's main theme revolves around an experiment to change the color of sodium chloride, which serves to illustrate the properties of materials and chemical reactions.

Highlights

Neil and I received an email from acquaintance Artem about making sodium chloride blue.

The recipe to create blue sodium chloride was vague and involved mixing sodium chloride and potassium chloride.

Mixing sodium chloride with potassium chloride forms a eutectic mixture that melts at a lower temperature.

Heating the mixture was challenging due to the melting point of sodium chloride being higher than a test tube's.

An extra gas gun was used to heat the mixture until everything melted and the test tube bent.

A grain of metallic sodium was added to the molten salt, causing a bright flash of light.

The salt mixture exhibited a bluish color once the sodium appeared to dissolve.

The experiment showed that sodium chloride can be slightly blue due to excess sodium or nanoparticles.

Adding water to the cooled sodium chloride caused fizzing, indicating leftover sodium.

The experiment demonstrated that materials can have altered properties, such as color, with changes in composition.

Neil and I learned that materials like NaCl can have variations in their chemical formula affecting their properties.

The experiment was considered a success, showing an interesting feature about materials.

The color of the sodium chloride was not as blue as hoped, but the experiment was still informative.

The process involved cutting sodium into smaller chunks for the experiment.

The experiment with sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium was conducted to observe color changes.

The transcript describes a scientific exploration of material properties through an experiment.