Supersaturated Sodium Acetate | Tales from the Prep Room
A beautiful transformation and a curious conundrum. Watch as Andy turns liquid into solid in a matter of seconds, experimenting with a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate.
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It just takes one small nudge to spark the transformation of a seemingly stable liquid into a solid. The liquid – a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate – consists of water with more dissolved sodium acetate salt than can be stably sustained. When Andy drops in a salt crystal, he provides the kick needed to start the transformation into the more thermodynamically favourable solid state.
At least, that’s what’s meant to happen. Just like science in a lab, science in the Prep Room doesn’t always go to plan first time. It’s a process of trial and error, explaining the unexpected, and exploring the phenomena at work. Curiously, when he goes to start the process, Andy finds that the crystallisation has half-completed – something which should, in theory, be impossible, because once one crystal forms it should kick-start the full process throughout the liquid.
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Видео Supersaturated Sodium Acetate | Tales from the Prep Room канала The Royal Institution
Click here to subscribe for more science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
It just takes one small nudge to spark the transformation of a seemingly stable liquid into a solid. The liquid – a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate – consists of water with more dissolved sodium acetate salt than can be stably sustained. When Andy drops in a salt crystal, he provides the kick needed to start the transformation into the more thermodynamically favourable solid state.
At least, that’s what’s meant to happen. Just like science in a lab, science in the Prep Room doesn’t always go to plan first time. It’s a process of trial and error, explaining the unexpected, and exploring the phenomena at work. Curiously, when he goes to start the process, Andy finds that the crystallisation has half-completed – something which should, in theory, be impossible, because once one crystal forms it should kick-start the full process throughout the liquid.
The Ri is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science
and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution
and Tumblr: http://ri-science.tumblr.com/
Our editorial policy: http://www.rigb.org/home/editorial-policy
Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Видео Supersaturated Sodium Acetate | Tales from the Prep Room канала The Royal Institution
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