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Illustrated Guide To Home Chemistry Experiments

ptorrone writes "The sad fact is chemistry and chemistry sets have been on the decline for the last couple decades. All is not lost, however. We (MAKE magazine) have a new book called The Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments. Learn how to smelt copper, purify alcohol, synthesize rayon, test for drugs and poisons, and much more. In this video, Bob the chemist shows how to get around a pesky DEA regulation so you can make your own iodine. GeekDad also reviewed the book."

4 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Excellent idea by triffid_98 · · Score: 4, Informative
    Or you could just walk over to your OSH garden center and buy a box of that stuff, as long as you don't need 100% purity that stuff is easy to get (used to improve soil acidity in alkaline soils).

    Sulphur is the easiest element to collect. Just walk along train tracks and look for the yellow pebbles that fall through the sulphur cars. I was able to collect maybe 10 grams in about 5 mins.

  2. Re:Just remember to use cash. by smellsofbikes · · Score: 5, Informative

    At least in the area I live, most chemistry/science supply places have gone to cash-only sales because they are required to track and report ID's on check and credit card sales but not on cash sales. Interesting unintended side-effect.

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  3. Re:Excellent idea by snowraver1 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually Air is not nitrogen, it just contains nitrogen. It's like saying Coke is water.

    Air has Oxygen, water vapor, evil CO2, methane, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen oxides, dust & smoke, and FSM knows what else in it.

    I stand by my statement that sulpher is the easiest element to collect.

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  4. Re:Just remember to use cash. by geekoid · · Score: 3, Informative

    Cash cards make it safe.
    As do those pesky things called banks.
    When dealing with LARGE transaction, no body uses cash. They have accountants and they move money to different banks around the globe. When that's problematic, they create their own banks.

    Seriously, this isn't 1930 anymore.

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