Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • 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
No Result
View All Result
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!

Alexandra Gerea by Alexandra Gerea
June 9, 2016
in Chemistry, Videos
Reading Time: 1 min read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Warning: Don’t try this at home!

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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)

Sorry to interrupt, but you should really...

...Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops. More than 40,000 subscribers can't be wrong.

   

 

ADVERTISEMENT

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
Alexandra Gerea

Alexandra Gerea

Alexandra is a naturalist who is firmly in love with our planet and the environment. When she's not writing about climate or animal rights, you can usually find her doing field research or reading the latest nutritional studies.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

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

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.