As always, be careful out there, folks. This experiment does involve running electricity through a solution.
This process does seem to result in some really pretty crystals.
And I'll admit that I kind of enjoy the simple, non-mugging style that the Backyard Scientist has gotten away from over time.
I can vouch for that Harold McGee book referenced toward the beginning. I have it on the shelf in my living room - though I'll admit that I've barely read more than a third of it. There's a LOT of science happening in there, and it's a dense read.
Adam explains the basics of heat conductivity, reactivity (leaching ions to make whipping egg whites easier), reactivity again (to pull sulfur out of the vapor distillate in alcohol distillation), malleability (peening the copper bowl), ductility (making copper whisks), reactivity another time (such as the health hazards of drinking acidic cocktails like mules from copper cups), and conductivity again (useful for making jams and candy).
And then he throws down the possibility of testing a pure silver pan...I want him to buy one, but I'm not going to support him to make that easier for him to do.
That's so pretty.
In summer camp and in our material science course at Princeton, we demonstrate this concept - that different portions of a flame produce different temperatures and different results - on a single copper sheet with one torch. We move the torch nearer to and further from the sheet and see reduction or oxidation.
But there's a lot more to using a flame to oxidize or reduce copper. In industry and - I think - in art, it's more common to adjust the mix of oxygen and fuel to change the flame between being oxidizing, neutral, and reducing (also known as carborizing). It's something that's done by plumbers when brazing together copper pipes.
Clearly, the video up top was made by someone who understands all this - maybe understands the science of it but certainly understands the practicality of it because Phoenix Flame Art (by Brent Artman - natch) uses the flame to produce some stunning artwork by preferentially oxidizing and reducing copper sheets.
@phoenix_flame_art Answer @liccalollipop Which group are you?? LINES OR NO LINES??? #PHOENIXFLAMEART #youchoose #contriversal #oneortheother #artinspo #poll #question #feedback #flameart #coldest @thecoldestwater ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE - Queens Road, Fabian Graetz
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| Mike McGivern, in yellow, was our tour guide. Here we started our tour outside the flotation plant. Big thanks to Courtney Young (in white), our Montana Tech host. |
