Alchemy

Today, the 21st of September in science class we started to learn about Alchemy. Which has been around through the middle ages, where chemist in those days started experimenting with metals to- turn them into gold; not only that they also wanted to find the "Elixir of life". In this experiment, we used Zinc Nitrate solution, Zinc metal and copper (in a form of a ten cent coin). We boiled the solution of Zinc Nitrate with the Zinc metal and then added the 10cent coin; we then boiled it for 10 minutes, took the coin out, cooled it off with cold water and finally held it in the blue fire until the colour started to fade out and started to turn to gold. Here are the method and the equipment needed, should you try this at home you will need (Adult Supervision).

What probably could've made it look more like gold, is either, that we held the coin in the flame for longer, kept the coin to boil more or we could've put more zinc strips. But all in all, I think it was a really interesting experiment.

Alchemy

Aim:  

I want to find out how to turn a copper coin into gold.

Equipment:

• Copper Coin
• Bunsen burner
• Tripod
• Heat Mat
• Gauze mat
• 50ml beaker
• Scissor Tongs
• Zinc metal
• Zinc Nitrate solution

Method:

1. Put your safety glasses on.
2. Set up heating equipment.
3. Add 50ml of Zinc Nitrate to the beaker.
4. Add the strips of zinc metal into the solution.
5. Heat the beaker with a blue flame.
6. Once the solution is boiling, add the Copper coin on top of the Zinc.
7. Wait for 10mins.
8. Using scissor tongs, get the coin and wash it under water.
9. Still holding the coin with the scissor tongs, hold the coin in the blue flame.