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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Hydrogen reactions from vinegar plus sanded nails

My daughter is doing a science project with nails. She is putting sanded nails into vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] to create hydrogen bubbles. But why do the bubbles appear? What causes the reaction?

Jessica G.
hobbyist - Chicago Ridge, IL, USA
April 6, 2009

April 6, 2009

Hi, Jessica. Has she seen these bubbles form with her own eyes? How does she know the bubbles are hydrogen and not oxygen, or not dissolved air that comes out of the solution when you put something cold into it?

Actually, they are hydrogen bubbles -- but it's not really science if you just assume they are hydrogen because you have read on the internet that they are hydrogen.

What grade is she in? The explanation for a 2nd-grader would be different than for a high school student. The vinegar is acetic acid ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , and acids react with iron, dissolving iron into solution and releasing hydrogen --
Fe + 2H [acetate] --> H₂ (gas) + Fe [acetate]

Good luck!

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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