All Questions
Tagged with everyday-chemistry redox
42 questions
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The edge case of an edge case: Vapor emissions of the descaling agent Sulfamic acid
I am wondering about the following scenario:
What happens if ready bought sulfamic acid descaling (usually 15% cont. + $\ce{H2O}$) is vaporized or at least steam develops while very briefly descaling ...
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4
votes
1
answer
53k
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Does rubbing alcohol + bleach really produce chloroform?
A lot of sources on the internet claim that mixing rubbing alcohol with chlorinated bleach produces chloroform.
Rubbing alcohol is isopropanol, and bleach is sodium hypochlorite. Neither of these look ...
- 624
4
votes
1
answer
366
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Why are holes appearing in this aluminum kitchen foil on my radiator?
I thought I would try to deal with dehumidified air from radiators by filling simple troughs of water placed on the top, which in theory would evaporate water as the radiator heated the air. I crafted ...
- 151
5
votes
1
answer
2k
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Can hydrogen peroxide dissolve rust?
WD-40's "help page" on "How To Loosen Rusty Bolts, Screws And Nuts" states:
Hydrogen peroxide can dissolve rust. Applying hydrogen peroxide to the
fasteners and letting it sit is ...
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1
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0
answers
69
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Why does the application of external mechanical pressure increase the performance of lithium-ion batteries?
Many electric vehicle batteries - specifically lithium-ion ones considered for this query - can be subjected to external mechanical pressure because it increases battery performance.
What components ...
- 121
1
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2
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566
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Hydrogen Peroxide & Vinegar Film reversal, can someone help me understand this reaction?
I'm interested in DIY photo development and I came across a reversal process that uses chemicals easily available at the grocery store. The purpose of a reversal process is to take a partially ...
2
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0
answers
83
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How efficient is Zinc Acetate as an Oxygen absorber?
I used to work in a microbiology lab and they used zinc acetate as O2 absorber for the anaerobic chamber. Was this an efficient way to scrub O2 from the air? I am asking because I want to make an N2 ...
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7
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1
answer
1k
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Understanding sodium hydroxide drain cleaner's exothermic dissolution of aluminum; does the aluminum need to be oxidized before it dissolves?
I'm not a chemist but I remember that the standard HF/nitric silicon etch used in micro-fabrication supposedly worked in two steps; the HF would dissolve the thin SiO2 oxide layer on the silicon ...
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0
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0
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421
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What happens when you run house electricity through salt water?
What happens when you run house electricity (120VAC) through salt water? (with standard copper wires!)
Well, in https://youtu.be/dcrY59nGxBg , an interesting experiment was conducted to find out!
At ...
- 1,566
-1
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1
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How to oxidize tantalum? [closed]
I am interested in learning how to oxidize tantalum. I have seen some tantalum rings that the sellers say is a permanent smokey blackish color. But I've spoken to some people that say tantalum cannot ...
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3
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3
answers
275
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What defines a discharged battery?
In the case of an AA Alkaline battery, what actually happens inside the battery once it is fully discharged? What components of the battery change as we use it?
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4
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2
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2k
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Maximum possible hypochlorite concentration from electrolysis?
For reference, "electrochlorination" is just the electrolysis of a simple solution of water and table salt (NaCl) followed by reintroducing the chlorine gas produced.
But, the Wikipedia article on "...
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3
votes
1
answer
2k
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Safely lowering bleach pH without chlorine gas?
According to Eurekalert, by lowering the pH of household bleach (e.g., by adding vinegar or citric acid), we can increase $\text{[HOCl]}$ and consequently greatly improve the disinfecting capabilities ...
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0
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2
answers
610
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Predicting products of chemical equations? [duplicate]
Consider the equation $\ce{2 NaOH (aq) +Cl2 (g) —> NaOCl (aq) + NaCl (aq) + H2O (l)}$. How would one know the products of this reaction? Is there a general way of doing this? I would have no ...
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0
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91
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Is this model to explain children about oxidation and fire correct? [closed]
I am teaching two young boys (elementary school) some basics about chemistry, but I have to learn as I go myself.
Is this a viable model to explain oxidation and fire?
When we light up the fireplace,...
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2
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11k
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Can cat urine corrode stainless steel?
My cat has a habit of urinating in the bathroom sink. It is unsanitary, but can it corrode the stainless steel plumbing hardware? My friend believes it will, but I disagree. I could believe that if ...
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5
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0
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243
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What makes "Color-Safe Bleach" color safe?
The ability of bleach ($\ce{NaOCl}$) to change the color of garments and introduce "bleach stains" is a well-known issue. In this question:
Does bleach turn a substance white or colorless?, the ...
- 151
3
votes
1
answer
4k
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Effect of sodium hydroxide solution on copper plate
I have a copper etching plate that has over 100 years of dried ink in the lines of the plate. Someone suggested flake sodium hydroxide as a possible solvent for the ink. My concern is preventing ...
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3
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1
answer
118
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What helps a sliced fruit or vegetables oxidize slower? [closed]
What helps a sliced fruit or vegetables oxidize slower ?
A need of chemical compound to use for the slowing of oxidation... we have tried using a lemon juice it actually helped by 15 mins. However it ...
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8
votes
1
answer
4k
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Changing iron(III) acetate to iron(II) acetate
Is there a way simple way to turn iron(III) acetate into iron(II) acetate or vice versa?
Edit (as per answer below): an oxidiser like hydrogen peroxide will turn iron(II) acetate into iron(III) ...
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3
votes
1
answer
2k
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Removing aluminum "corrosion?"
I have some aluminum alloy, possibly 6063 or 7050 (no clue really) which has corroded. The finish might be silver-anodized but I doubt it due to the high polish, could be urethane. The item is a ...
- 143
18
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1
answer
2k
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Counterintuitive Reaction of Aluminium On Steel Balls
There is a certain video which I just watched about 2 large cast iron balls. If the balls are struck together, no reaction happens, but if one is covered in aluminium foil and then struck, a large ...
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3
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1
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74
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Why does Cl- corrode aluminum containers?
I heard that $\ce{Cl^-}$ will corrode aluminum containers. Why? Is it because it would form a galvanic cell or produce coordination compounds?
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4
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14k
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What is the difference between galvanization and sacrificial protection?
If we use zinc in both methods, then the same process occurs: zinc corrodes in preference to iron, and eventually zinc has to be replaced. So what's the difference?
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2
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1
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834
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What reaction occurs when etching copper to create circuit boards?
The components used for etching copper are acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide and sodium chloride. I think the equation may be similar to this:
$$\ce{2H3C2O2H + H2O2 + 2NaCl + Cu -> CuCl2 + 2H3C2O2Na +...
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23
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5
answers
23k
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Iron chemistry: acetates for ebonizing wood
I have recently been “brewing” what is commonly called “iron acetate” for ebonizing wood, and I'd like to understand the chemistry of the iron/acetic acid reaction, which should be fairly simple, but ...
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12
votes
4
answers
32k
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What is the product of a copper and vinegar reaction?
I put a copper wire through a hole in the cap of a water bottle, filled the water bottle ~ half way full with vinegar, and left it over night. The part of the wire inside the bottle that wasn't in ...
- 268
3
votes
1
answer
11k
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Green Potassium Manganate and Sodium Hydroxide Equation
When a sample of green potassium manganate (VI), $\ce{K2MnO4}$, is added to aqueous sodium hydroxide, a brown black solid A and a purple solution of B are obtained.
I know that the brown black solid ...
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3
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1
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3k
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Clean silver with aluminum foil and *
I already have two questions touching on this subject and there is a third question as well.
The thing is that all the other question talk about cleaning silver with aluminum foil and carbonated ...
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10
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1
answer
7k
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What is the chemistry behind cleaning silverware with aluminium foil
This question has a accepted answer on this site already:
What happens during cleaning silverware?
but the reason I ask the question again is because I found different "recipes" for the technique ...
- 251
2
votes
0
answers
104
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Clean tin with aluminium
I've been using aluminium foil and table salt to clean my silverware for a long time without actually concerning myself with the chemistry behind it. A couple of days ago i started digging into the ...
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21
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6
answers
77k
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Painting metal, does it matter if all rust is removed before?
In the context of automobile repair work, assume a metal surface has rust on it. Does it matter if all of the rust is removed before the metal surface is painted? If it does matter, then why?
It ...
14
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1
answer
7k
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Does bleach turn a substance white or colorless?
From what I understand, bleach works to weaken the ability of a substance to absorb light. Thus this seems to be "whitening" i.e. reflecting all light. In contrast, colorlessness (according to ...
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3
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1
answer
281
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can sodium persulfate etch or damage a titanium heater?
I use Sodium Persulfate to etch copper on a PCB process. I have been using glass heater on the etching tank but the glass is too fragile; it breaks too easily.
I read that titanium heater is used ...
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2
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2
answers
2k
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How does a simple alkaline battery work?
The basic + - electrolyte set up. Modern batteries and the like. How exactly do they work?
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3
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8k
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How does hydrogen gas build up in hot water lines?
Recently I was reading through the owner's manual of a washing machine; notably, the warnings in the front of the booklet. One warning stood out to me; it said that if the hot water in your house has ...
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10
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4
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7k
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Which electrodes do not corrode at all?
I had used spare pieces of metal to perform electrolysis. They all had the disadvantage that they corrode when used as anode - and some of the oxides are toxic (copper, chromium).
I've found that ...
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1
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1
answer
1k
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Does a patina on a knife prevent rust?
Before I begin, I think it's worth mentioning that I know little about chemistry and even less about knives.
My question is this, having seen many people talk about how patinas work and the best ...
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3
votes
1
answer
1k
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Which reaction between Lugol and Hydrogen peroxide?
The Lugol solution is a mixture of $\ce{(K+, I- )}$ and $\ce{I2}$ such that $\ce{I3-}$ are formed by:
$$\ce{I- + I2 -> I3-}$$
I know that the brown color comes from $\ce{I2}$, but in this ...
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25
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6
answers
43k
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Why can't rust form without water?
Shouldn't iron oxide be able to form without water? It is just iron and oxygen. I don't really understand what the dot followed by the $\ce{H2O}$ means either. I was reading on wikipedia, but I have a ...
user1638
22
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4
answers
88k
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Why is salt needed when using vinegar to clean pennies?
Let's say you have a solution that is vinegar and it has salt (NaCl) dissolved in it. Then you place old dull pennies in it. Then you look at it 5 minutes later and the pennies are clean and looking ...
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5
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2
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1k
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Why must an oxidizer not touch rubber?
Why is it that oxidizers (specifically $\ce{KClO3}$) are at risk of causing a fire when they come into contact with the rubber stopper used to contain them in their container, but can be slowly heated ...
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