Archive for August 13th, 2008

The aluminum bromide reaction

Wednesday, August 13th, 2008

[This is an update of an earlier post on this blog.  This version includes streaming video]

Let’s say you don’t want to do the thermite reaction, but you still want to see some flashy chemistry. The reaction between aluminum and bromine might fit the bill.

2Al(s) + 3Br2(l) –> 2AlBr3(s)

It’s a very simple-looking reaction – a little electron transfer from aluminum to bromine.  Like lots of these reactions, it’s exothermic.  Exothermic enough to put on an impressive show.

Enough heat is generated by the reaction to vaporize some of the unreacted bromine – throwing off orange smoke.  On top of that, the aluminum gets hot enough to melt and spark.  For obvious reasons, this reaction should only be done where you’ve got very good ventilation. I used my hood for these pictures and this video.

Here’s a still image of the reaction vessel containing only liquid bromine and its vapor.

Liquid bromine and its vapor

Liquid bromine and its vapor

Bromine is the dark red liquid at the bottom. Bromine is quite volatile, and you can see orange bromine vapor in the top of the beaker.

About ten seconds after adding some torn aluminum foil, things look more like this.

Aluminum bromide reaction, 10 seconds after adding aluminum

Aluminum bromide reaction, 10 seconds after adding aluminum

A little later …

After a few more seconds, it's hot enough to spark

After a few more seconds, it's hot enough to spark

And then …

Oh yeah!

Oh yeah!

… but you didn’t read all this way for still pictures, did you?  How about a video?

After the reaction’s over, you’ll want to buy a new beaker.  The melted aluminum foil fuses with the bottom of the beaker.  (The sand bath is there to catch anything that gets through the bottom of the beaker when it breaks!)

Aluminum melted into the glass at the bottom of the beaker

Aluminum melted into the glass at the bottom of the beaker

So where’s the aluminum bromide?  Some of it has stuck to the sides of the beaker.

Aluminum bromide (white / yellowish solid) on the beaker

Aluminum bromide (white / yellowish solid) on the beaker

Aluminum bromide formed will react with water, causing the release of acidic hydrogen bromide vapors, so you need to be careful disposing of the product! That reaction is also very exothermic, so touching the product or adding water to it is not recommended. Leave it out long enough, though, and it will absorb water from the air on its own.

Ain’t chemistry neat?

Disclaimer: Do not try this reaction at home. In fact, do not try this reaction at all! You were warned.

The day I see …

Wednesday, August 13th, 2008

The day I see fans of Richard Dawkins blocking the doors to the science building of my college pushing copies of The God Delusion in the same manner as the Gideons push their bibles is the day I will start taking the “atheism is a religion” folks more seriously.

The funny thing is, I’d say exactly the same thing to the Dawkins fans as I would to the Gideons:  Sorry, but I already have a copy.


I wonder a bit about the Gideons.  Is there anyone – and I mean anyone – in the state of South Carolina who does not have access to a Christian bible?  It seems to me that distributing bibles in this state is simply a waste of money.