Amy Sass

Aluminum Burner

Science Concept: When copper chloride is exposed to aluminum it will corrode and dissolve the aluminum. Copper metal is then formed from the copper ion solution.

Materials:

1. Cupric Chloride or Copper(II) Chloride (copper sulfate will not work in this reaction)

2. 30 ml of distilled water

3. Aluminum foil

4. Glass pie plate

Directions:

1. Simply sprinkle cupric chloride over the aluminum pie pan (cover the glass pie plate with foil before hand).

2. Then add the water using several dropperfuls.

3. Watch the water fizzle and the aluminum is "reacted or dissolved away".

Introduction:

Boys and girls, how many of you like writing secret messages to your friends. Well I do. My friends and I love chemistry and we like writing secret messages to one another. So we decided to write secret messages using chemistry, this is how we did it.

Explanation:

The aluminum foil contains aluminum element as a metal. The aluminum metal reacts with copper chloride (ions) that is sprinkled over the foil. When the copper chloride (ion) powder reacts with the aluminum metal, the ions and the metal change form. The aluminum metal now becomes the ion, which dissolves away, weakening the foil. The copper chloride becomes the metal. It then seems to burn away, disappear or dissolve. The copper then becomes a metal, which appears as a dark orange color. What you witness is an exothermic reaction. An exothermic reaction is when a chemical reaction takes place, and heat is given off. In this case fizzing steam was given off, which is water vapor.

This is actually what is called a redox or oxidation/reduction reaction. The aluminum metal gives electrons to the copper ions. As a result aluminum has lost electrons and becomes an ion, while the copper gains the electrons and becomes the metal.

Al + Cu⁺² ions ----> Al⁺³ ions + Cu metal

Safety Precautions:

Waste Disposal:

Reference: Unknown