Ammonia Fountain Demo

Materials:
Lab goggles Lab coat
Heat resistant gloves 50 mL graduated cylinder
500 mL beaker Disposable pipette
500 mL Flask Ring Stand
Rubber Stopper Glass rod
Hot plate Ammonia
Water Phenolphthalein
 
Directions:
-Fill a 500 mL beaker with water.
-Add 1 mL phenolphthalein to the beaker.
-Place beaker on ring stand
-Put glass rod Through the rubber stopper until about 1/4 of the rod is through.
-In the graduated cylinder measure out 10 mL Ammonia.
-Transfer the Ammonia to the 500 mL Flask
-Place the stopper with rod in the flask to seal
-Place the flask on the hot plate
-Heat on medium heat until Ammonia is boiling, about 2-3 minutes.
-Using heat resistant gloves carefully remove the flask from the hot plate and turn upside-down.
-insert the flask in the ring stand so that the glass rod is in the water.

Plan:
-Have students observe the phenomena and write their observations.
-Then have the students write some questions about the phenomena.
-Discuss what evidence they have from the demo to answer their questions.
-Talk about the phenomena
-What did you notice? What does the color change tell us? When does the color change and why?
Why does the water move into the flask?
Notes:
-Want to get them to see that the color change happened as soon as the gas dissolved into the
water and thus turned pink coming out of the glass rod and not once it hit any ammonia liquid.
-Need to see that there was a pressure difference caused that allowed the water to flow into the
flask.
-Finally, get to the connection that the color change by a pH indicator means that there was a
chemical change in the water.
-Ask students about the implications of their findings.
- In this experiment, we see that gasses dissolve into water. What are some examples of gasses
that dissolve into liquid that could impact your life/the world? Last week, during the water boiling
experiment we talked about how pressure differences can affect the flow of molecules. In this
experiment we also see a similar effect. What is an example in the real world in which pressure
differences allow for the movement of air particles?
Notes:
-Ex. Ocean acidification
-Ex. Respiration/photosynthesis
-Have students write a claim statement.
 Ammonia Fountain Demo

Important information:
-Phenolphthalein: an acid-base indicator that turns a pink-red when alkaline (basic) and colorless when
acidic.
-Ammonia is a weak base that when combined with water forms ammonium hydroxide which
dissociates into ammonium ions and hydroxide ions.
-NH3 + H2O <--> NH4OH
-NH3 + H2O <--> NH4+ + OH-
-Demo shows the solubility of ammonia in water. i.e. gasses dissolve in water.
-explanation: as ammonia gas dissolves into the water, the pressure in the container drops. This results
in the water being forced into the container creating a fountain effect.
-As the vapor condenses as it cools, pressure drops inside the container. The pressure difference
means that the water can move into the flask from high to low pressure. The larger the pressure
difference, the faster the movement.

Connection to previous Water Boiling Demo:

-Students learned that the cold from the ice condensed the air particles creating a low pressure
environment that resulted in the water boiling.
-In this demo, a low pressure environment is created resulting in a fountain effect; this time the low
pressure is caused by the cooling gasses being dissolved in water.

Real World Applications:

-Ocean Acidification: atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide dissolve into the ocean and are stored there
as a carbon sink. Some CO2 will remain as a dissolved gas, however, the CO2 will react with the water to
form carbonic acid or react with carbonates to form bicarbonates that can be used by aquatic
plants/animals to create calcium carbonate shells.
-Increases CO2 levels, increases CO2 in the ocean and results in more carbonic acid being formed
in the water at a rate higher than ocean ecosystems can respond. Increased acidity causes damage
to the shell forming organisms.
-Refresher: Cold water holds more gas than warm and gas exchange at the ocean surface is the
result of mixing from wind/waves.
-Respiration with dissolved gasses: gasses dissolved in water allow for CO2 to be used for
photosynthesis in plants and dissolved oxygen to be used by aquatic/terrestrial animals in respiration.
-In the alveoli (air sacs in the lungs) O2 moves into the capillaries to the blood where it can be
carried on hemoglobin and used in the body. Likewise, CO2 can be moved from the capillaries to
the alveoli to be exhaled.
-Respiration with pressure changes:
-Inspiration: Diaphragm contracts (moves downward) increasing the thoracic cavity and
decreasing pressure. Air fills the lungs.
-Expiration: Diaphragm relaxes (moves back up) decreasing the thoracic cavity and increasing
pressure. Air leaves the lungs.
 Ammonia Fountain Demo

Example Drawing with Labeling: