Hobbies And Interests
Acid Rain Projects
Sulfuric acid can be used to imitate the pH level of acid rain. Place three potted bean plants onto one tray and water each of these with fresh water. This will be your control group. Place another three bean plants onto a second tray and water these with fresh water mixed with several drops of sulfuric acid, which changes the neutral pH of fresh water to acidic. Study your plants every day and note the changes. You can test several different types of plants to see which can better resist acid rain and you can experiment with the different levels of sulfuric acid used.
Onion Projects
Onions when sliced emit a gas that, when exposed to tears and fluid in your eyes, becomes sulfuric acid. Peel an onion at room temperature and start a timer when you first begin chopping up the onion. Stop the timer at the point your eyes tear up. Refrigerate another onion for several hours and repeat the experiment, noting how long it takes for your eyes to tear up. Fill a bucket with water and chop a submerged onion, timing how long it takes for your eyes to tear up. Test onion chopping while wearing goggles, spritzing the cutting board with vinegar, which is supposed to interrupt the chemical reaction, or cutting near an open flame, such as a candle, which is supposed to burn away some of the gas. You can also try testing different types of onions: red, sweet, white or green.
Electricity Projects
Secure a sheet of copper and a sheet of zinc onto a ceramic mug, acting as electrodes, and use alligator clip wires to attach each electrode to a 1.2 volts bulb with a socket. Remove the zinc plate and fill the ceramic cup with 50 grams of copper sulfate. Place the zinc plate back on the side of the mug and drop several drops of sulfuric acid into the mug to watch the light turn on. To make more electricity, add a second ceramic mug with electrodes and connect the copper plate of one mug to the zinc plate of the other. You should be able to light a larger 2.5-volt bulb. You can repeat this experiment using other acids, such as lemon juice or vinegar, to see which types of acids produce the most electricity.
pH Projects
Finely slice several cabbage leaves into tiny bits. Place the bits into a plastic bottle, half-fill the bottle with hot water and shake it until the water looks dark purple. Allow the solution to cool and then strain the leaves out. Line up five plastic cups and carefully pour a small amount of sulfuric acid, a strong acid, into one cup; lemon juice, a weak acid, into one cup; baby shampoo, which is neutral, into one cup; milk of magnesia, which is a weak base, into one cup; and dish washing liquid, which is a strong base, into the last cup. Half-fill each cup with purple cabbage water and watch as the water turns red when highly acidic, purple when neutral, blue when slightly basic and yellow when highly basic. Test other household products for acidity to expand your project.