In reply to H Veeder's message of Mon, 25 Aug 2014 21:34:52 -0400: Hi Harry,
Now actually *read* the message you replied to. >On Fri, Aug 22, 2014 at 5:47 PM, <mix...@bigpond.com> wrote: > >> In reply to H Veeder's message of Fri, 22 Aug 2014 02:32:18 -0400: >> Hi, >> [snip] >> >The novel part happens when the drop of metal turns black and then >> >transparent and then "explodes". >> >Harry >> > >> > >> >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIGMfai_ICg >> > >> >Invisible Metal (better than transparent Aluminium!) >> >> I don't think it is transparent metal. IMO, what you see at the end is a >> droplet >> of molten alkali-hydroxide momentarily suspended on a layer of Hydrogen and >> steam. Molten hydroxide should indeed be transparent. Note that it doesn't >> become transparent until the dark blue disappears, which happens when >> there are >> no more solvated electrons, and that doesn't happen until the last of the >> metal >> is gone. Furthermore, while metal exists, heat is being generated to >> maintain >> the steam layer, once it's gone, the steam layer vanishes and the droplet >> makes >> contact with the water. Alkali-hydroxides dissolve in water quite nicely, >> particularly when hot, which is what causes the "explosion" at the end. >> >> Regards, >> >> Robin van Spaandonk >> >> http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html >> >> >The narrator of the video says if the drop is alkali-hydroxide it should >sink because according to him alkali-hydroxide is denser than water. >Are you arguing that the drop is indeed alkali-hydroxide but it is kept >afloat by riding a cushion steam like a hovercraft rides a cushion of air? > >Harry Regards, Robin van Spaandonk http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html
