| Author | Message | ||
     Anonymous |
Im wondering if I can decompose sodium bicarbonate with heat to make CO2 and sodium. I dont know if the heat used to decompose the chemical will also oxodise the sodium. Would I get sodium or sodium oxide? | ||
| Simon Quellen Field (Sfield) |
You'd get sodium oxide, which would make sodium hydroxide with the moisture in the air. What you want to do is make a simple Downs Cell. There is a lot of information on the web about this subject. | ||
| Anonymous |
I read about this in a diffrent post, but my parents wolnt let me get (or use) a torch that will heat it enough. I was hoping to be able to produce sodium in its unreacted form. I could put another chemical to compete with the sodium for the oxogen and put it in a vaccum to keep out oxogen in the air but doesnt the competing chemical have to be more reactive? Of course the a chemical more reactive than sodium would be hard to get too. Is there a sodium compound that I can decompose that doesnt have oxogen in it? By the way I appreciate your helping a beginner chemist and I like your site. | ||
| Anonymous |
Oh and I was wondering why the downs cell has two electrodes, Is that so calcium forms on one while sodium plates on the other? I wouldve thought that they both plated on each electrode, or is it just so you have more surface area? | ||
| Simon Quellen Field (Sfield) |
If your parents won't trust you with a torch, why do you think they will let you extract sodium metal? It is not one of the safer activities. You might consider getting your parents' assistance. They can operate the torch, and supervise the activities. We don't want your career in chemistry cut short. They can also help pay for materials. The more strongly a substance reacts with others, the more difficult it is to separate it from them. However, electricity is common, and is a very powerful way to separate elements. This is why aluminum, magnesium, sodium, and potassium are made this way. You are on the right track in thinking of compounds that are easier to separate. However, they might be harder to obtain than pure sodium (which your parents can buy for you from chemical supply houses). Compounds like sodium nitride will decompose into their elements when heated. There are many configurations used in Downs Cells. What look like a pair of electrodes may be the cutaway view of an electrode that forms a ring around the other one. | ||
| Anonymous |
Thanks, I think the reason why they would let me make sodium is because they know that I would produce it in small amounts and you cant really use a small amount of flammible material to reach 600 degrees. What I am doing with my current expiriments is seeing how many of the more expensive chemicals I can make by chemical reactions with household materials (with the proper reserch into what the reactions will do of course). After all, lots of chemicals are made from things that the companies can buy from people who obtain it from the earth or make it from another chemical. | ||
| Anonymous |
I need pure sodium, i know that it is explosive when put to water and i would like to experiment with my class although i cant do it in school. Please post if you know how i can obtain this explosive material. | ||
| lysdexia Unregistered guest |
You can get it from school. | ||
| Simon Quellen Field (sfield) New member Username: sfield Post Number: 87 Registered: 12-2004 |
Schools get is from places like this. | ||
| EdElric (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted From: 206.78.126.230 |
Where you you get it, if you weren't getting it for school. |
