Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • ZME & more
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
Home Science Chemistry

What happens when you throw a pound of Sodium like a skipping stone in a river

Warning: Don't try this at home!

by Alexandra Gerea
June 9, 2016
in Chemistry, Videos
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Warning: Don’t try this at home!

YouTube video

One wiseguy Youtuber called EatsTooMuchJam skipped a pound of sodium across a river for science. What happened next was totally predictable, but still amazing to watch like any spontaneous explosion. It was also a very expensive science experiment, too. One pound of 99.8% sodium metal ingots sells for $180 over at Amazon.

The reaction between sodium and water is one the most spectacular in chemistry. Being a highly reactive metal, when sodium comes into contact with water, it displaces hydrogen gas per the following:

2 Na(s) + 2H2O(l) –> 2 NaOH(aq) + H2(g)

 

The reaction produces jets of hydrogen gas below the water, which propels the sodium. The reaction also releases a lot of heat, and as the sodium and solution warm up, it goes faster. If sodium gets hot enough, the hydrogen jet can ignite and burn, rising the temperature of the reaction even further. This raises the reaction time so quickly that an explosion may occur — which is exactly what happened here.

Tags: sodium

Share1TweetShare
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • ZME & more

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • ZME & more
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.