Simple Chemical Reactions You Can Try at Home with Safe Ingredients

A chemical reaction is a process where one or more substances, known as reactants, transform into one or more new substances, the products. These substances may be elements or compounds, and a chemical reaction rearranges the atoms in the reactants to form the products. Here are some simple and safe chemical reactions you can perform at home.

Using Purple Cabbage as an Indicator

Purple cabbage can act as an indicator to identify acidic, basic, or neutral substances. It contains a pigment called anthocyanin, which changes colour when exposed to different types of substances: it turns pink in an acid, green or yellow in a base, and remains purple in a neutral substance. This method can help identify household substances such as lemon juice, baking soda, washing soda, baking powder, drinking water, vinegar, and milk.

Procedure:

1. Grind some purple cabbage leaves to extract their juice.
2. Pour solutions of different household substances into separate glasses.
3. Add a small amount of cabbage juice to each glass.
4. Observe and record the colour changes.

Conclusion: Each solution will change colour depending on its acidity or basicity, revealing the nature of each substance.

Vinegar and Baking Soda

When vinegar and baking soda are mixed, a two-step chemical reaction occurs. First, the hydrogen ions in vinegar react with the sodium bicarbonate ions in baking soda to form sodium acetate and carbonic acid. In the second step, carbonic acid breaks down into carbon dioxide and water.

Procedure:

1. Take a bottle with a narrow opening.
2. Add two tablespoons of vinegar and a small amount of dish soap.
3. Add two tablespoons of baking soda.
4. Observe the fizzing reaction.

Conclusion: The reaction between vinegar and baking soda produces carbon dioxide gas, which creates a bubbling or fizzing effect. The addition of dish soap increases the quantity of bubbles.

Chemical Equation:
Ch2COOH+NaHCO3→Ch2COONa+CO2+H2O\text{CH}_3\text{COOH} + \text{NaHCO}_3 \rightarrow \text{CH}_3\text{COONa} + \text{CO}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O}Ch2COOH+NaHCO3→Ch2COONa+CO2+H2O

You can experiment by adding different food colourings or adjusting the amounts of baking soda and vinegar for varying fizz effects.

Suggested read- DIY Fun Chemical Experiments

The Chemistry of Bread-Baking

Most people enjoy bread as part of their daily breakfast. Let’s explore the chemistry involved in bread-making. Flour is high in carbohydrates, especially starch, with a lower protein content. When yeast is added, it produces carbon dioxide, which makes the dough rise, becoming soft and airy.

Procedure:

1. Place flour in a large bowl.
2. Add yeast to the flour, cover the dough with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 3–4 hours.
3. Observe the changes.

Observation: Flour contains carbohydrates such as sugars and starch. The yeast breaks down these sugars, producing carbon dioxide and ethanol. The carbon dioxide gas forms bubbles in the dough, making it rise and become fluffy. The ethanol evaporates during baking, leaving behind a deliciously soft bread.

Rubber Eggs

Using vinegar, you can turn an egg into a “rubber egg” by dissolving its shell.

Ingredients: A hard-boiled egg with its shell intact and a glass of vinegar.

Procedure:

1. Place the egg in the vinegar and observe the bubbles forming on the shell.
2. Leave the egg in the vinegar for at least 24 hours.
3. After a day, remove the egg, rinse it with water, and rub off any remaining shell.

Conclusion: Vinegar (a dilute acetic acid) dissolves the calcium carbonate in the eggshell, leaving only the inner membrane. This results in a soft, rubbery egg. The reaction between calcium carbonate in the shell and acetic acid in vinegar releases carbon dioxide gas, causing bubbles to appear on the egg’s surface. The reaction continues until all the calcium carbonate is used up.

Chemical Equation:
CaCO3+Ch2COOH→Ca2+(as salt)+H2O+CO2\text{CaCO}_3 + \text{CH}_3\text{COOH} \rightarrow \text{Ca}^{2+} (\text{as salt}) + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CO}_2CaCO3+Ch2COOH→Ca2+(as salt)+H2O+CO2

Conclusion

Science plays a vital role in our daily lives, and chemistry allows us to explore the fascinating world of chemical reactions. Performing these reactions helps students enhance their cognitive skills and fosters interest in learning about science. For further information on chemical reactions, please visit the Euro School website.