complex ions

The oxidation of reducing sugars by silver ions to form a silver mirror is a classic chemistry experiment. In this experiment, sugars that contain aldehyde functional groups are reacted with an ammonia-silver complex to form silver metal, which forms a shiny metallic mirror:

Determining the empirical formulas of ionic compounds based on charge balance is often a challenge for beginning chemistry students. Many visual aides have been developed for this purpose, from repurposing commercial interlocking bricks to custom 3-D printed bricks. This article describes yet another option– upcycled can carriers.

I’d like to describe a very colorful system you can use to explore many facets of chemical equilibrium.

I recently shared some simple experiments using magnets and coins that connect to the 2019 National Chemistry Week (NCW) theme, “Marvelous Metals!”¹ Because coins are familiar items, made of metal, and so very easy to obtain, I think doing experiments with coins is a great idea for NCW 2019!