Removing Tarnish from Silver

Usually when I turn to Compound Interest, I'm looking to find a gorgeous infographic explaining some aspect of chemistry. Today's post from them (him, really), isn't graphical in the least. Instead, it's an in-depth exploration of one of the NACE labs that we perform in our summer, teacher camps: Quicksilver.

Why does the sodium bicarbonate need to be there? Andy explains.

Why do we need the salt? Andy explains.

Where does the rotten egg smell come from? Andy explains.

Why do people still buy polishing plates for as much as $30? Even Andy can't explain that.

Compound Interest is a British blog through which Andy Brunning, a chemistry teacher with a flair for graphic design, posts outstanding chemistry-themed infographics.