All about Bromine, one of my favorite elements | Element Series

Summary

This video delves into the intriguing world of bromine, a unique liquid element at room temperature and part of the halogen family. The presenter discusses its physical properties, storage challenges due to its high vapor pressure, and its quick evaporation rate. Demonstrations include safely opening bromine in a lab setting and showing its fuming and liquid state. The video also touches on bromine's reactivity, natural occurrence, and its practical applications, such as in dyes like eosin used in biological staining. The presenter encourages viewer engagement for future content suggestions.

Takeaways

• 🧪 Bromine is a chemical element in group 17, known as the halogen family, alongside chlorine, fluorine, and iodine.
• 🌡 Bromine is unique for being a liquid at room temperature, similar to mercury, unlike most other elements which are gas or solid.
• 🔴 It has a dark red, nearly black color and is visually distinct among the elements.
• 💨 Bromine has a high vapor pressure, making it prone to evaporation and difficult to store without leakage.
• 🚫 Storing bromine in glass ampules is the most effective method to prevent leakage, but it requires careful handling.
• 😷 Safety precautions such as lab coats, gloves, goggles, and respirators are essential when handling bromine due to its fuming properties.
• 📉 Bromine vapor is denser than air, which affects how it disperses and its physical properties compared to water.
• ⏱ Bromine evaporates rapidly, disappearing in minutes under normal conditions, and even faster with air movement.
• 🌌 Bromine is reactive and rarely found in its elemental form in nature; it typically forms compounds with other elements.
• 🔬 Bromine is used in chemistry for adding bromine groups to molecules, such as in the synthesis of eosin, a dye used in biological staining.
• 🎥 The video includes a demonstration of bromine's properties and a brief explanation of its preparation from sodium bromide, a common disinfectant in pools.

Q & A

What is the chemical element bromine and where is it located on the periodic table?

Bromine is a chemical element that is part of the halogen family, located in group 17 on the periodic table.

What are the common properties shared by the elements in the halogen family?

Elements in the halogen family share similar properties, but they differ in their physical states; as you move down the group, the elements transition from gas to liquid to solid.

Why is bromine unique among the elements at room temperature?

Bromine is unique because it is one of only two elements, along with mercury, that are liquid at room temperature.

What is the color of liquid bromine and how does it appear?

Liquid bromine has a very dark red, nearly black color and it can appear a bit intimidating.

Why is bromine difficult to store?

Bromine has a high vapor pressure, which means it readily converts from its liquid to the gas phase, making it hard to store without leakage.

What is the recommended method for storing bromine without it leaking?

The only practical way to store bromine without leakage is by using glass ampules, which must be broken to access the bromine.

What safety precautions should be taken when handling bromine?

When handling bromine, one should wear a lab coat, gloves, goggles, and use a respirator to protect against the harmful vapors.

How does the density of liquid bromine compare to water?

The density of liquid bromine is about three times that of water, making even small amounts feel abnormally heavy.

What is the rate of evaporation of bromine and how was it demonstrated in the video?

Bromine evaporates very quickly. In the video, it was demonstrated by placing bromine on a watch glass and speeding up the footage to show how rapidly it disappeared.

How is elemental bromine typically found in nature and what is one of its common uses?

Elemental bromine is quite reactive and is not commonly found alone in nature. It is often found in the form of compounds, such as sodium bromide, which is used as a disinfectant in pools.

What is one of the practical applications of bromine mentioned in the script?

One practical application of bromine is to add a bromine group to a molecule, as demonstrated in the preparation of eosin, a dye used in biology and histology for staining tissues.

Outlines

00:00

🌡️ Bromine: A Unique Liquid Element

The script introduces bromine, a chemical element in group 17 of the periodic table, belonging to the halogen family. It shares properties with other halogens like chlorine, fluorine, and iodine but stands out as it is a liquid at room temperature, similar to mercury. The script describes bromine's dark red, nearly black appearance and high vapor pressure, which makes it difficult to store due to its tendency to leak as a gas. The only effective storage method mentioned is using glass ampules, which require breaking to access the bromine. The video also covers safety precautions, such as wearing a lab coat, gloves, and goggles, and using a respirator due to the fuming and strong vapors of bromine. The demonstration includes pouring bromine, showing its density, and highlighting its rapid evaporation rate.

05:04

🧪 Applications and Preparation of Bromine

This paragraph discusses the practical applications of bromine, emphasizing its use in adding bromine groups to molecules, as demonstrated in the creation of the dye eosin from fluorescein. Eosin is commonly used in biology and histology for staining tissues before microscopic examination. The script also touches on the rarity of finding bromine in its elemental form in nature due to its reactivity and tendency to form compounds. A common source of bromine is sodium bromide, used as a disinfectant in pools, from which elemental bromine can be chemically liberated. The video includes a warning about the dangers of preparing bromine and a brief overview of the process. The script concludes with an invitation for viewer feedback on video improvement and topic suggestions, acknowledgment of Patreon supporters, and a tease of upcoming video content.

Keywords

💡Bromine

Bromine is a chemical element with the symbol Br and atomic number 35. It is the third lightest halogen, following fluorine and chlorine. In the video, bromine is the central theme, being described as a cool element to work with and having unique properties such as being a liquid at room temperature. The script mentions its high vapor pressure and dark red color, which are characteristic features of bromine.

💡Halogen Family

The halogen family refers to Group 17 elements in the periodic table, which includes fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine. These elements are known for their similar properties, such as being highly reactive and forming diatomic molecules. The script discusses the shared characteristics of halogens and the physical differences as you move down the group, with bromine being a liquid at room temperature, unlike other halogens which are gases or solids.

💡Phases of Matter

Phases of matter describe the state in which a substance exists, such as solid, liquid, or gas. The script highlights the unique phase of bromine as a liquid at room temperature, which is a distinguishing feature compared to other elements. It also contrasts this with the phases of other halogens, like fluorine and chlorine which are gases, and iodine which is a solid.

💡Vapor Pressure

Vapor pressure is the pressure exerted by a vapor in equilibrium with its condensed phases at a given temperature in a closed system. The script describes bromine's high vapor pressure, which makes it readily convert from liquid to gas phase, leading to its difficulty in storage and the fuming observed when the container is opened.

💡Diatomic Molecule

A diatomic molecule consists of two atoms of the same element bonded together, such as O2 in oxygen or H2 in hydrogen. The script mentions that bromine, like other halogens, exists as a diatomic molecule, Br2, which is a common form for these reactive elements in nature.

💡Sodium Bromide

Sodium bromide is a common source of bromine, chemically similar to sodium chloride (table salt) but containing bromine instead of chlorine. In the script, it is mentioned as a substance from which elemental bromine can be chemically liberated, and it is also used as a disinfectant in pools.

💡Eosin

Eosin is a dye commonly used in biology and histology to stain tissues before microscopic examination. The script describes a chemical process where bromine is added to another molecule, fluorescein, to create eosin. This illustrates a practical application of bromine in scientific research.

💡Fluorescein

Fluorescein is an organic compound and a fluorescent dye used for various applications, including as a precursor in the synthesis of eosin as mentioned in the script. The transformation from fluorescein to eosin by the addition of bromine atoms demonstrates a chemical reaction involving bromine.

💡Reactivity

Reactivity in chemistry refers to the tendency of a substance to undergo a chemical reaction. Bromine is described as a very reactive element in the script, which is why it is rarely found alone in nature and is often part of various compounds.

💡Safety Gear

Safety gear includes protective equipment used to prevent personal injuries. The script mentions the use of a lab coat, gloves, and goggles, as well as a respirator when handling bromine due to its strong vapors, emphasizing the importance of safety precautions when working with hazardous chemicals.

💡Evaporation Rate

The evaporation rate is the speed at which a liquid turns into vapor. The script demonstrates the high rate of evaporation of bromine by showing how quickly it disappears from a watch glass, even without significant air movement.

Highlights

Bromine is part of the halogen family in group 17 of the periodic table, sharing properties with chlorine, fluorine, and iodine.

Bromine is unique as it is a liquid at room temperature, similar to mercury, unlike most other elements.

Bromine's high vapor pressure makes it difficult to store due to its tendency to convert from liquid to gas.

Glass ampules are the only effective way to store bromine without leakage.

Bromine's dark red, nearly black color gives it a somewhat intimidating appearance.

The fuming of bromine is hazardous and requires safety precautions such as a respirator.

Bromine vapor is heavier than air, which affects how it disperses when poured.

Despite its density, bromine's viscosity is similar to water, not thick like honey.

Bromine evaporates rapidly, taking only about four minutes to disappear under still conditions.

Bromine is typically found in nature as part of compounds, not as a free element, due to its reactivity.

Bromine exists as a diatomic molecule, 'Br₂', which is common among other diatomic elements.

Sodium bromide, used as a disinfectant in pools, is a common source of bromine.

The preparation of elemental bromine from sodium bromide is a dangerous process and not recommended.

Bromine has practical applications, such as adding bromine groups to molecules in chemical processes.

Eosin, a dye used in biology and histology, is an example of a compound made using bromine.

The video includes a demonstration of the preparation of eosin from fluorescein by adding bromine.

Supporters on Patreon get early access to videos and recognition in the video credits.

The video concludes with a call for viewer suggestions for future content and acknowledgment of Patreon supporters.

Transcripts

Hi guys! So today we're going to be talking about the chemical element bromine,

which in my opinion is one of the coolest elements I've ever worked with

If we take a look at the periodic table, we can see that bromine lies in group 17,

which is also known as the halogen family

If we look at the other members of this family, we can find things like chlorine and fluorine or iodine

and all of these chemical elements share some similar properties

The major physical difference between these elements is that

as we go down, the phases of the elements change

So when we start with fluorine, we have a gas, below it is chlorine which is also a gas,

but we get to bromine, it's a liquid, and we go down one more, and go to iodine, it's a solid

The fact that bromine exist as a liquid at room temperature

is pretty unique, because mercury is the only other element like this

All of the other ones you know like iron, chlorine, fluorine that are already mentioned etc.

They're all gases or solid at room temperature, we only have two, mercury and bromine that are liquid

So now we're done with the intro, we can just get rid of this paper

and we can take a closer look at the bromine

It has a very dark red nearly black color and honestly looks a little bit scary

Bromine has a high vapor pressure,

so it has a strong tendency to convert from its liquid to the gas phase

This makes it very hard to store, and bromine gas will leak out of almost all containers including this one

It's really not uncommon for the area around a bromine bottle to be rusted, discolored and decrepit

The only real way to store it without leak is to use glass ampules

The downside using ampules is that you'll need to break the ampule to use it

and you kind of need to use everything at once when you open it

Just as a quick side note, I mean both the ampules and the bromine myself

and if you're interested in seeing how it was done, you can check out the links in the description

So as I have all my safety gear on which is namely a lab coat, some gloves and goggles,

we're ready to open up the bromine

The first thing that you'll notice is the fuming that comes out

Like I said before, the bromine vaporizes quite readily

and it's... *cough* (oh God) it's gonna fume profusely

It's not good

Opening just the bottle was pretty bad and I had to leave the area

but I really want to show you guys what it looks like to pour it

So, to do this, I'm going to have to use a respirator

So here's my respirator, which is going to block the bromine vapors

I can alternatively just do this in a very well ventilated area

but I want to show you guys the fuming looks like and I can't do that if I have crazy fans or anything going

So I'm going to go ahead and put this on

With the respirator on, we are...

ready to continue

When I open the bottle for a second time, a lot of fumes are going to come out, but this time I'm protected

The bromine vapor is heavier than air, so when I tip the bottle

you can see it pouring to the beaker and all over the table

The density of liquid bromine is about three times out of water,

so even the small amounts of the liquid feels abnormally heavy

Just because it's more dense though, it doesn't mean that it's thick like honey or something

and the viscosity is very similar to that of water

To highlight the crazy rate of evaporation that bromine has,

I decided to put a little bit of the bromine on the watch glass

and see how long it takes to disappear

Even though it evaporates quickly, I'm not gonna bore you by playing it out in real time,

so I sped things up

In total, it took about four minutes to completely disappear

and this is with very little to no air movement

If I were to blow on it or set up a fan, it probably could disappear in less than 30 seconds

I mentioned earlier that I made the bromine in this video and here are a few shots of the preparation

As an element, bromine is quite reactive, so it's really not common to find bromine alone in nature

If bromine ever forms, It quickly reacts with other elements to form various compounds

One of the quick thing to mention is that bromine is a diatomic molecule,

which means it never exist as just "Br" and it's always combined with itself to make "Br₂"

This isn't unique to bromine though and there's a slew of other diatomic elements

and instead of saying all of them, I'll just provide a list here

One very common source of bromine is in the salt sodium bromide

which is the bromine equivalent of sodium chloride or table salt

The sodium bromide is sold in pool stores to use as a disinfectant,

but with a little bit of chemistry, we can liberate the elemental bromine from it

The preparation of bromine though is extremely dangerous for obvious reasons

and I really don't recommend doing it

Bromine isn't just a fun chemical to play with though and it actually has some useful chemical applications

Its most common use is to add a bromine group to a molecule

and I've actually done this in a previous video

I use the bromine that I made in the clips that I just showed a second ago

to make something called eosin

Eosin is a pretty commonly used dye in biology and histology

to stain tissues before looking at them under the microscope

For this preparation, we start with a molecule called fluorescein

and we need to throw some bromines onto it

If you don't understand the chemical structure, it really doesn't matter,

the only thing you have to notice is that compared to fluorescein,

the eosin has a bunch of bromines added onto it

Anyway, that's it for now, if you guys have any ideas on how I can improve these types of videos

or maybe just some topics for future videos, please let me know in the comments

As usual, I'd like to extend a big thanks to all my supporters on Patreon

and especially those who donated five dollars or more

Anyone who donates and supports me on Patreon gets to see my videos 24 hours before I release it to YouTube

and if you donate five dollars or more, you get your name at the end of the video like you see here

Also as usual, here's the videos that I've currently filmed and the ones that plan to work on,

if you have any suggestions or ideas, please feel free to leave them in the comments