Steel Wool & Vinegar Reaction

Soak steel wool in vinegar and watch what happens as the iron in the steel begins to react with the oxygen
around it. This fun science experiment for kids is great for learning about chemical reactions.

What you'll need:

 Steel Wool
 Vinegar
 Two beakers
 Paper or a lid (something to cover the beaker to keep the heat in)
 Thermometer

Instructions:

 Place the steel wool in a beaker.

 Pour vinegar on to the steel wool and allow it to soak in the vinegar for around one minute.
 Remove the steel wool and drain any excess vinegar.
 Wrap the steel wool around the base of the thermometer and place them both in the second beaker.
 Cover the beaker with paper or a lid to keep the heat in (make sure you can still read the temperature on
the thermometer, having a small hole in the paper or lid for the thermometer to go through is a good
idea).
 Check the initial temperature and then monitor it for around five minutes.

What's happening?

The temperature inside the beaker should gradually rise, you might even notice the beaker getting foggy. When
you soak the steel wool in vinegar it removes the protective coating of the steel wool and allows the iron in the
steel to rust. Rusting (or oxidation) is a chemical reaction between iron and oxygen, this chemical reaction creates
heat energy which increases the temperature inside the beaker. This experiment is an example of an exothermic
reaction, a chemical reaction that releases energy in the form of heat.

6. Hot Ice
Teach your students how to make hot ice! When vinegar and baking soda mix, they form a chemical called
sodium acetate. We refer to this as "hot ice." It’s an easy and safe experiment that uses supplies from around
the house.
Materials Needed:

 4 cups of white vinegar {acetic acid}

 4 tablespoons of baking soda {sodium bicarbonate}
 a pot
 a glass measuring cup or mason jar {heat safe glass}
 a dish
  a spoon
How It's Done:
1. After collecting the supplies, measure out 4 cups of vinegar.
2. Pouring it into a medium pot.
3. Next, stir the mixture until all the baking soda has dissolved and stopped fizzing.
4. Boil the solution over medium low heat for a little over an hour (You’ll want to reduce the solution by
about 75% or until you have about 3/4-1 cup). If you boil your solution at a higher temperature it may
turn yellow-brownish. Don't worry, the experiment will still work.
5. Next, pour the concentrated sodium acetate into a glass pyrex measuring cup and placed it in the fridge
to cool.
6. Then scrape a little of the dried sodium acetate powder off the inside of the pot to use later.
7. After about 30-45 minutes, the solution is cool enough to turn into ice. When you first take the solution
out it will still be liquid. The act of pouring it onto a surface turns it into ice. So, grab a glass dish and
place a small pile of the sodium acetate powder from the pot in the center (This act as a seed for the
crystals to start forming on).
8. A pillar of cloudy ice will form. Ask your children or students to guess why this has happened.