Is amateur chemistry dead?

[Sho'Nuff]

I guess I just don't see the excitement in making simple molecules in my garage and then running TLCs. I'm probably jaded in regards to amateur chemistry because of my current work in an academic chemistry lab.

See the link below. Just one example of why in-home chemistry can still be exciting and lead to completely new developments in the filed. And no, it doesn;t involve drugs or somone blowing themselves up. This dude is going to be filthy, filthy, filthy rich.

http://www.zubbles.com/ (SFW)

EDIT: Just realized that Kehoe's story isn;t on the zubbles cite. Here is a link to popular science article:

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2005-11/11-year-quest-create-disappearing-colored-bubbles

More recent story since the popsci link might be dead:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/07/10/colored-bubbles.html

 

[Gibsons]

Ammonium nitrate? You can buy it at farmers co-ops.

Should've said ammonium triiodide. Very sensitive but weak. At least in small amounts.
http://www.skepticfiles.org/new/195doc.htm

 

[Matthiasa]

I'll guess ammonium iodide.

Maybe, It was purplish to start with, but I can't quite remember it's final color.

I do remember even looking at it wrong could set it off, and that he mentioned that it was quite powerful.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Maybe, It was purplish to start with, but I can't quite remember it's final color.

I do remember even looking at it wrong could set it off, and that he mentioned that it was quite powerful.

Nitroglycerin?

 

[Matthiasa]

Nitroglycerin isn't that sensitive. Again looking at it wrong could set it of, if you let it sit it could go off, it existing could set it off.

 

[uclaLabrat]

I'm guessing a little bit of nitroglycerin, some magnesium and possibly some sodium.

Doubt it, it was probably ammonium hydroxide and iodine. Please don't mix either or any of the listed chemical together, the stuff you quoted would be bad, very bad.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Nitroglycerin isn't that sensitive. Again looking at it wrong could set it of, if you let it sit it could go off, it existing could set it off.

Nitroglycerin is pretty damn sensitive in liquid or gaseous form. Bump it the wrong way and . . . BOOM. That's why it wasn't used much as a commercial explosive until Nobel found a way to make it safer to handle.

Only chemical I know that has the specific characteristics you are talking about (apart from the color) is butyl lithium. Expose liquid butyl lithium to air and you will have a fireball on your hands. You also have to be careful when using the stuff in a glove box. The vapor leaving the glove box can crystallize in the hood ductwork, and the crystals are explosive.

Not that this means anything, but in a past life (before I became a patent attorney), I was a chemist by trade. Granted, I focused on alloy and inorganic chem, but I still have some nuggets trapped in my brain from the ridiculous number of hours I spent in an organic chem lab.

 

[AceGoober]

Amateur chemistry isn't dead. Why, the other day I put salt on a slug and monitored the reaction.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

amateur chemistry isn't dead. Why, the other day i put salt on a slug and monitored the reaction. :d

lol

 

[Lithium381]

can i throw out a guess for lithium? much like magnesium when put in water no?

 

[Sho'Nuff]

can i throw out a guess for lithium? much like magnesium when put in water no?

And sodium, and the other group IA metals.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I had a real chemistry set, and a real geology set too, with real reagents.

We've done away with these things for the "greater good". Well, people want government holding our weenies so we don't miss the pot. We asked for it, we got it.

 

[IGBT]

there's plenty of meth labs around. does that count??

 

[Rubycon]

You want (stare it cross eyed it explodes in your face) sensitive you want Nitrogen Triiodine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-EUCFahgHg

Not particularly powerful but definitely good for a prank involving a mouse pad.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

The "Safety March", "War on Terror", and meth labs basically killed any sort of exploration into science. It won't be long until you need to be checked out to buy vinegar...

 

[PaperclipGod]

I seem to recall Edmund Scientific having lab supplies in their catalog. Let me check it out.

Edit: Yeah!

http://scientificsonline.com/category.asp_Q_c_E_421185

Ahhh... nice. I didn't think of Edmunds. It's kind of sad that the first place I find that sells glassware is a glorified toy store, though. :/

 

[Joemonkey]

The "Safety March", "War on Terror", and meth labs basically killed any sort of exploration into science. It won't be long until you need to be checked out to buy vinegar...

But I like making pickles so much

 

[eldorado99]

Amateur chemistry will land you here:

 

[Matthiasa]

You want (stare it cross eyed it explodes in your face) sensitive you want Nitrogen Triiodine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-EUCFahgHg

Not particularly powerful but definitely good for a prank involving a mouse pad.

Ahh, that looked familiar.
The teacher however, used many times that amount on each thing, enough to make a loud bang and set off stuff across the room.