Chemical Reactions

Timmy’s Room: The Fish Tank

In order to produce bubbles for Timmy’s goldfish tank, the combination of sodium
bicarbonate and acetic acid yields a similar result of bubbles to that of an air-driven filler of
carbon dioxide, water and sodium acetate. This production of gas combines a solid and liquid to
create a phase change into gas. Using the plastic container representing the fish tank, the mix of
baking soda and vinegar produces carbon dioxide gas manifested in the bubbles.
This combination is also an example of a single replacement reaction in which one
element reacts with a compound and takes the place of another element in that compound. This
will result in the exchange of a sodium ion to create sodium acetate from the sodium bicarbonate
as the carbon ion combines with the two oxygen ions to create carbon dioxide. The final and
third oxygen ion combines with two hydrogen ions to create water.
Formula:
CH​3​COOH​(s)​+NaHCO​3(aq)​ → CH​3​COONa​(s)​ + CO​2(g)​ + H​2​O​(l)

Chip Skylark: My Shiny Teeth and Me

Chip Skylark, one of Timmy Turner’s friends and singing sensation, is infamous for his
blindingly white teeth. To simulate his teeth, magnesium ions are exposed to the atmospheric
surroundings of oxygen to produce magnesium oxide. This synthesis reaction creates magnesium
iodide as the two magnesium ions and two oxygen ions combine. This reaction creates a bright,
white light similar to that of Chip’s tooth.
Formula:
2Mg​(s)​ + O​2(g)​ → 2MgO​(s)

School Bus
To simulate the yellow color of the school bus, we combined potassium iodide and lead
nitrate to form potassium nitrate and lead iodide. This double displacement reaction ​is when two
compounds react, and the positive ions (cation) and the negative ions (anion) of the two reactants
switch places, forming two new compounds or products. In this case, the potassium cation
switches places with the lead cation, while the nitrate anion and iodide anion also switch in the
same way, resulting in potassium iodide and lead nitrate producing a bright yellow color as
evidence of the reaction taking place.
Formula:
Pb(NO3)​2(aq)​ + 2KI(aq) → PbI​2(s)​ + 2KNO​3(aq)