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Chemistry LibreTexts

Endothermic Reaction—Freeze a Beaker to a Board

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Required Training

Required PPE

UC Lab Safety Fundamentals

Lab coat, safety glasses/goggles,

nitrile gloves

Equipment

Chemicals

100 mL beaker

17 g Ammonium Nitrate

Wooden block

32 g Barium Hydroxide

Glass stir rod

DI squirt bottle

Procedure:

  1. Set the beaker on top of the wood block.
  2. Pour the contents of the two vials, ammonium nitrate and barium hydroxide, into the beaker simultaneously.
  3. Stir if necessary.
  4. This endothermic reaction will condense water vapor from the air between the bottom of the beaker and the wooden block and freeze it.
  5. If it is too dry, water can be sprayed on the block with a squirt bottle.

Discussion:

The temperature of this reaction can drop to -25C to -30C.

Hazards:

Spent solution should be covered and put into a fume hood as soon as possible. This reaction releases ammonia gas. Soluble barium compounds are toxic to blood. Consult MSDS for full detail.

SOP:

Nitrates – Ammonium Nitrate

Disposal (by Storeroom)

Cover the beaker with parafilm after the demo and put the entire set-up into a large beaker during transit to prevent spilling. Return this Barium solution for proper disposal.


Endothermic Reaction—Freeze a Beaker to a Board is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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