In this new experiment we do a simple experiment where you can see how crystals spontaneously grow from calcium chloride y sodium silicate. It is a very simple experiment whose result gives the appearance of a white coral bath.
MATERIALS
- Sodium Silicate
- Calcium Chloride
- Water
- 100 ml sample beaker, or beaker.
STEP-BY-STEP EXPERIMENT
- Take a 100ml beaker or sample cup (another size would also work).
- Pour in 1/3 sodium silicate and 2/3 water.
- Pour a few pearls of calcium chloride into the beaker
- Wait and see how they grow.
VIDEO EXPERIMENT
TECHNICAL EXPLANATION OF THE EXPERIMENT
Calcium chloride is a salt that tends to dissolve when placed in water. The chemical reaction of calcium chloride in water would be as follows:
CaCl2(s) + n H2O → Ca+ (aq) + 2Cl- (aq)
The metal ions form an insoluble precipitate in contact with the silicate, which forms a solid, optionally crystalline, but relatively porous and water permeable film (or envelope) of the silicate solution. Inside this casing, the metal salt is introduced; outside, the silicate solution. The water in the solution can enter through osmosis into the interior by increasing its volume. Thus, waves and tears of envelopes in places, letting escape the internal solution, concentrated metal salt, which again forms the porous film in contact with the silicate.
The phenomenon is caused by 2 concepts: Osmosis y Buoyancy. By osmosis, water enters the metal silicate shell, increasing its breakdown. By buoyancy with the difference in density between the sodium silicate and the inside of the porous casing. By osmosis, the water entering the casing dissolves metal salt to it and the density decreases. When it becomes less than the density of the silicate solution, there is a force directed upwards.
CaCl2 + Na2SiO3 -- CaSiO3 + 2NaCl
ON CALCIUM CHLORIDE
Calcium chloride is a chemical compound with a multitude of applications in different fields, both in food, industry and chemical experiments.