Science made alive: Chemistry/Experiments

Experiments with phosphorus or its compounds

	element	required compound	link to experiment
*	P	K₃CrO₈ P (red) Al (powder)	Explosive mix with red phosphorus and a peroxo chromate . A remarkably powerful and sensitive explosive mix is obtained by mixing potassium tetraperoxochromate(V) and red P.
*	P	P (red) KIO₄ (or KClO₄)	High speed image capturing of explosions with purple/pink smoke . Potassium periodate and red phosphorus are mixed and the mix is ignited. This gives an explosion, with formation of a pink cloud of smoke. High-speed images are made of this reaction.
*	P, V	V₂O₅ KOH H₂O₂ (15%) H₂SO₄ (dilute) CH₃CH₂OH (96%) P (red)	Energetic mix with red phosphorus and a peroxo complex of vanadium. In this experiment a peroxo complex of vanadium is made and this complex is isolated as a dry powdered solid. The isolated compound is stable on storage and has energetic properties. A mix with red phosphorus deflagrates on ignition.
	P	P KClO₃	Sensitivity of mix of potassium chlorate and red phosphorus. A mix of red phosphorus and potassium chlorate can be ignited, simply by lightly tapping on it with a smooth rod.
*	P, Al	P (red) Cl₂ KNO₃ Al (powder)	Miniature fireworks (bright flashes) in a test tube. A mix of aluminium powder, potassium nitrate and red phosphorus is thrown in chlorine gas. This results in a very bright white flash.
	P	MnO₂ Al (powder) P (red)	Flash powder with manganese dioxide. Manganese dioxide and fine aluminium powder make a powerful flash powder. With red P it can be ignited more easily.
*	P	P (red) Br₂ Cl₂	Reaction between bromine/chlorine and phosphorus . Red phosphorus, when thrown in chlorine gas or bromine vapor, is ignited and continues burning in the gas.
*	P	P (red) Br₂	Synthesis and isolation of phosphorus tribromide . Phosphorus tribromide is prepared by means of careful addition of red phosphorus to bromine. By means of distillation the product is purified.
*	P, Cl	P (white) NaOH Cl₂ bleach HCl	Self-ignition of phosphine in chlorine gas . In this experiment some phosphine is prepared, some of its properties are shown, and the gas is bubbled in an atmosphere of chlorine, resulting in self-ignition of the gas and contraction of gas volume.
*	P, V	PCl₅ V₂O₅	Volatile vanadium compound, leading to green gas and red smoke. Phosphorus pentachloride is capable of chlorinating vanadium pentoxide and the resulting compound is volatile and gives rise to formation of interesting green vapor and red smoke when it is heated.
*	I, P	H₅IO₆ P (red)	Delayed self-ignition of mix of periodic acid and red phosphorus. Some red phosphorus and periodic acid are mixed. After a while, this mix suddenly self-ignites and a plume of fire and smoke is produced.
*	P	P (red)	Conversion of red phosphorus to white phosphorus . This is a write-up on how one can convert red phosphorus to white phosphorus. The process described here is suitable for making a few grams of white phosphorus per batch.

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