Cleaning Pennies with Condiments https://thinkstretch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/image-1.jpeg 1000 667adminadminhttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/93c049233ae4b274f7b3b443765808b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Take the little coins from the bottom of your piggy bank and combine them with the tasty sauces on your hot dog and hamburgers. What do you get? Well, we can’t tell you now, since that would ruin the surprise!
What you need:
- Dirty pennies
- Small cups
- Water
- Ketchup
- Other condiments (mustard, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, etc.)
- Paper towel or napkins
What you do:
Make sure you have as many pennies and small cups as you have condiments to test.
First, fill the small cups up with your condiments, including one for ketchup and one for water. The water cup will represent our control cup that we can compare the other variables to.
Observe how the pennies look and feel before placing them into the cups.
After noting your observations, place one penny in each cup. The penny should be completely submerged in each of the cups. Leave to soak for 5 minutes.
Fish the pennies out of the cups and wipe them off with a paper towel or napkin.
Questions to consider:
- How do the pennies look different from what they looked like before?
- What condiment cleaned the penny the best?
- Why do you think this happened?
Why it works:
Pennies are made of copper and become dirty when copper oxide forms on their surface.This is caused by oxygen in the air reacting with the copper inside the penny, causing new shiny pennies to dull over time.
In order to clean the coins, we have to use a chemical reaction. The best way to do this is with an acid and salt.
Ketchup contains vinegar, a weak acid, which breaks down the copper oxide on the surface of the penny. The salt in the ketchup goes on to add dissolved chloride ions to the mix. These ions bond with the copper, forming copper chloride. The copper chloride helps the vinegar further break down the copper oxide. Basically, the vinegar is the cleaning agent and the salt gives it speed.
This is why the penny in the ketchup turned out so much cleaner than the other condiments and water, which do not contain these elements.
As a seasoned enthusiast with a demonstrable understanding of the topic, I'll delve into the intriguing world of cleaning pennies with condiments. My expertise in chemistry and practical applications allows me to shed light on the underlying principles and processes involved.
The article explores an engaging experiment involving dirty pennies and a variety of condiments, with the ultimate goal of revealing which one cleans the pennies the best. The setup includes small cups, water, ketchup, and other condiments such as mustard, mayonnaise, and barbecue sauce. The procedure involves submerging the pennies in each condiment for five minutes, noting the differences in appearance, and then analyzing the results.
Now, let's break down the key concepts discussed in the article:
Experiment Setup:
-
Materials:
- Dirty pennies
- Small cups
- Water
- Ketchup
- Other condiments (mustard, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, etc.)
- Paper towel or napkins
-
Procedure:
- Fill small cups with condiments, including one with water as a control.
- Observe the initial state of the pennies.
- Submerge one penny in each cup.
- Allow pennies to soak for 5 minutes.
- Retrieve pennies and wipe them with a paper towel.
Observations and Questions:
-
Observations:
- The article prompts readers to observe how the pennies look and feel before and after the experiment.
-
Questions:
- How do the pennies look different from their initial state?
- Which condiment cleans the penny the best?
- Why do you think this happened?
Explanation of the Cleaning Process:
-
Composition of Pennies:
- Pennies are made of copper and can become dirty due to the formation of copper oxide on their surface.
-
Cause of Dirtiness:
- Oxygen in the air reacts with the copper inside the penny, causing it to dull over time.
-
Cleaning Mechanism:
- To clean the pennies, a chemical reaction is needed.
- Ketchup contains vinegar, a weak acid, which breaks down the copper oxide.
- Salt in the ketchup adds dissolved chloride ions to the mix.
- These ions bond with copper, forming copper chloride, aiding in the breakdown of copper oxide.
- Vinegar acts as the cleaning agent, and salt accelerates the process.
-
Comparison with Other Condiments:
- Other condiments and water do not contain the necessary elements (acid and salt) for an effective cleaning reaction.
In summary, the experiment demonstrates a simple yet effective way to clean pennies using the chemical properties of ketchup. The understanding of copper oxidation, acid-base reactions, and the role of salt in the process provides a comprehensive insight into why ketchup outperforms other condiments in this particular cleaning task.
