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Question:

What chemical is produced when you combine foil and toilet bowl cleaner?

A lot of people know that it makes an explosion but what chemical is actually produced when mixed to make the bottle expand from pressure?

Answer:

Hydrogen gasYou mean aluminium foil, right? And toilet bowl cleaner, well I'll assume that it's sodium hydroxideThe reaction goes something like this: Aluminium is oxidized: half-reaction: Al Al(3+) + 3e- Water is reduced: half-reaction: 2H2O + 2e- 2OH- + H2 Triple this: 6H2O + 6e- 6OH- + 3H2 Double the aluminium half-reaction: 2Al 2Al(3+) + 6e- Add: 2Al + 6H2O 2Al(3+) + 6OH- + 3H2 The aluminium ion is complexed by hydroxide ion from the toilet bowl cleanerAl(3+) + 4OH- Al(OH)4(-) Double this: 2Al(3+) + 8OH- 2Al(OH)4(-) Add to the reaction above: 2Al + 6H2O + 8OH- 2Al(OH)4(-) + 6OH- + 3H2 Cancel out 6OH-: 2Al + 6H2O + 2OH- 2Al(OH)4(-) + 3H2 With the counter-ions, it would be 2Al + 6H2O + 2NaOH 2Na[Al(OH)4] + 3H2

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