There are lots of legal restrictions too (depending on country you live in). Some chemicals are regulated and it may not be legal to make them either. Making pharmaceuticals can be illegal too. I mean rather innocent ones like aspirine or ibuprofene, not drugs like meth. For example EU regulates items like nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide (precursors for explosives) and both EU and US regulate many chemicals considered a precursor for drugs or a chemical needed for some drug related synthesis steps (like some allotropes of phosphorus). When I studied chemistry it was mostly a combination of theory (reading lots of books and listening lectures about why some stuff happens) and then trying those up in the lab. In the lab you need good habits for safety that can be difficult to figure out yourself. It is also very easy to slip into bad habbits when there is nobody else correcting you constantly like in a shared lab. Everyone working in a lap needs a habit of reading msds sheets for all chemicals you use and preferably everything you make too. That gives you quickly some sense like assuming most bromides are bad for you and most oxidesers come with fire and/or explosion hazard. Of cause the general rules are not enough but they are good to learn as well. I think hobby chemistry can be very limited in some countries (like no nitrations to get amines due to lack of nitric acid or at least a lot of paperwork to get some). You may need to be very careful if for example manufacturing any pharmaceutical agent is illegal. In a professional lab it was much easier with no such constraints.
@@Lee117five0 I think the common ones (like nitric acid) is easy to remember but when you get into the list of every prescription drug there is, the list gets very very long. In my country that list also includes some items that doctors are not allowed to prescribe because the drug is not considered safe (that list may be common to all EU). Making any of those on the list is considered half as bad as making meth at home. It is much simpler with inorganic chemistry though. EU list has mostly oxidesers, like nitrates and chlorates. No making black powder here!
The safety aspect is no joke. I was young and dumb when I got started and almost killed myself trying to distill nitric acid in my room with no ventilation.
Yep, I remember doing my first experiment with eggshells and concentrated acetic acid in a closed garage and heating the acid on a hot plate... I’m still convinced my sense of smell would be stronger if I’d just been a little smarter and asked my chemistry teacher to OK my setup first.
I almost lost an eye as a teenager trying to purify nitric acid using DCM and conc sulphuric acid, the lens dropped out of my safety goggles into my reaction mix and splashed it onto my face. Certainly taught me a valuable lesson about using proper (and not broken) safety equipment.
@@zeo_crash7984 One time i got Sulphuric splattering everywhere due to a old repeater pipette, so we all have had Sulphuric incidences at one point or another. But I'm glad to hear nothing terrible happened to you
I would love to start... but It's very difficult to start something simple as guys like NileRed, NurdRage, Champlayer, Codys lab covered very wide range of subjects in chemistry. Make something new, interesting and... "safe enough" is really hard. Maybe I'm wrong and somebody can tell me :)
@@DragonisRed1 I think it's important to just find something you enjoy and dive in. Research your topic, experience your topic, perform your topic - if it's something that grabs onto you the same way you hold onto it, then pop out a camera and everyone will feel your passion :)
@@StormBurnX I feel it in same way that eventually there would be smbd to watch my videos. Also one thing that was already mentioned here I live in EU and it's really super difficult to get some things to my hands... I can't just buy liters of methanol on gas station (for e.g.). And in my country by law I need a degree in chemistry which I have but another 3 years of full time lab experience (which I wasn't able to get while studying obviously) to be able tu purchase chemicals and on some I even need to have certification. So I'm pretty limited to available stuff and some "shady" offers from poeple who got chemicals (i don't want to know how). I have an idea what's missing in this specific field so maybe I'll come up with smth eventually.
@@StormBurnX Oh sure... it is not just blaming boo hoo I want but I can't and do smth. But my point was: why it's so rare to have people doing chemistry on YT. Also Chemplayer isn't here anymore because he struggled with strikes... from what I know.. so I would be very glad (NR)^2 and Cody are still here
@@Yourenotmyuser i know i'm a bit late but this is what the channel's description says: "In terms of education, I have a BSc in Biochemistry, with a minor in pharmacology. However, I've always been a lot more drawn to applied chemistry. So after finishing my degree, I worked as a lab tech in an organic lab, and then as a chemistry grad student. However, I ended up leaving my graduate studies early to focus on this channel."
I think that video shows safety more than all the other videos. Simply because it shows that you should think before acting ones something "bad" happens. In this video its on purpose but it shows that there is time to make a rational decision if you get acid on your hands.
I completely agree with this advice. I remember the first time I saw a project I wanted to do and had all of the chemicals and glassware I needed already on hand from previous projects, it felt great.
From my perspective as a chemist myself I cannot stress out enough how true you are, especially when you got to the dangerous point. There a countless simple, non-dangerous synthesis availiable in books, you don't need to go to an University to study a bit of chemistry I guess
Well chemistry kits are usually designed to be safe such as putting a rock in a solution to make synthesized jade grow from it which you can find at a dollar store here in the US for kids of course. And let me tell you trying to get those jade crystals to bound with Pyrite is a pain in the ass as it does not want to however it does happen every now and then and usually easily breaks off of the Pyrite though i did get one that did not break off and it did change the color of the Pyrite to a lighter green mixed with its usual Pyrite color
@@scrappydoo7887 what got me started are simple flame tests such as a sodium flame in a sodium lamp produces a black fire as i thought all those different color of fires was cool. More cool if you walk up to a house on Halloween and see their jack o'lanterns have actual blue fire so a simple sodium backlight with a sodium flame you get a black fire for your jack o'lantern. Though a kids curiosity is something you want to watch as they can accidently make something that produces toxic fumes as they are mixing shit together and burning shit just to see what happens
@@JohnnyYeTaecanUktena I agree with you completely there, I generated quite a lot of nitrogen dioxide in my mum's kitchen through nitrate salts and sulfuric acid. It's definitely one to supervise but it Gabe me a life long fascination with silence and chemistry especially so I think the good that's done is worth it
Chemistry As a Hobby without formal training like an apprenticeship or a chemistry degree of some sort sounds really bad. to work safely you have to know so many details about, propertys, hazards, reactions or side reactions, so you don't fuck something up and hurt yourself or people around you, so I can't recommend that.
I generally agree that some sort of formal training is important. Otherwise you are pretty likely to make a lot of basic and potentially dangerous mistakes.
I would definitely agree with this. I can't imagine a lot of amateur chemists without some sort of academic or industrial experience would think to check the MSDS for their reagents/products, for example. Even with 8 years of training in chemistry, I wouldn't want to do chemistry at home.
The good thing about ethanol distillation though is that it’s a VERY well understood and documented process. There are plenty of resources from enthusiast brewers to high school chem students that can provide really solid information. It’s pretty difficult to stuff up. In comparison, I had to distil some cinamaldehyde in the lab once and the whole thing kept crystallising in my glassware. I ended up having to run HOT water through my condenser to get things to flow and ultimately ended up in a really uncomfortable situation where everything was too hot to touch and I had almost no control of the situation. Definitely not something I’d want to do without a lab technician to brainstorm ideas with... The whole process smelled amazing though :p
@@AdreaSnow I agree, as soon as you don't screw something up a lot, it isn't that hard. Actually for me the hardest part was to get controlled heat, so only the ethanol evaporated. I don't have a proper heather, so I just placed a beaker in some nearly boiling water and it worked just fine
Love the safety info. I'm going to start by simply making solid soap, which some people might not even think of as a chemistry experiment, and consider doing other simple things from there.
Making soap is what got me into chemistry! It's so rewarding, just don't get discouraged if not every batch is perfect right away. But eye protection is obviously a must.
*_What you need:_* Vinegar Baking Soda *_What to do:_* Mix them *_What's the use:_* Inflate a balloon, make a volcano, a cake etc *_Who are you:_* _A chemist. Or a chef. Or some human that enjoys chemical reactions_
Watching your video have been always my guilty pleasure, i'm a chemistry student and your videos is my inspiration and give so much advantages, so in the future i really want to be like you, enjoying chemistry in a fun way, thank you nile red/nile blue
That is some really good advice right there. I wish I heard that 4 years ago. I never stopped to ask myself WHY did I suddenly think I wanted to get in to chemistry. I've played with different sciences all my life and haven't touched chemistry since I was 10 playing with a used chemistry set I bought at a rummage sale. But about 4 years ago, I got the urge and I collected all sorts of online literature and chemistry books in pfd form and started buying gear, $150, then $400... I finally stopped after I bought about $600+ worth of gear. Once I acquired all the gear, I suddenly realized the interest was gone and I had to stop and ask myself why. It turns out I was subconsciously trying to recreate how I felt about myself when I was a kid. As a child, when I started buying chemistry stuff people started looking at me differently. My friends came over to "my lab". Hell, I didn't know anything about chemistry beyond a bit about the pH scale. But because I played with test tubes and glassware and chemicals, people started treating me as a little professor or a little adult . Many years have passed and I now realize I was mostly reaching for something you just can't get back simply from owning gear.
Nile, you're one of the few youtubers I would listen to talk about literally everything. I'm so glad that you revived this channel, it is something I wished you would do a long while ago. ❤
Im 16 and I do my own film developing, it's a good thing to start with a would say. None of the chemicals are very dangerous and it gives practice for safety precautions. You have to be very precise to get good results too.
you are one my motivations for wanting to major in chemistry and I would really love to do stuff similar to you, doing random fun reactions, and showing people. I love science and ever since I've seen you just doing them for fun, it's really helped me to push for what I want to do in life
This should be watched along with the NileBlue video "Chemistry is dangerous". These two go along great together. I watched Chemistry is dangerous first and then watched this one and it's like the two were made to be seen together. Nigel, you are an amazing person. I really enjoy your videos and your mission to teach chemistry.
This is how I got started a few months ago. I didn't really know where to start until I needed a desiccant (for my bees). So instead of buying some desiccant online, I decided to just make calcium chloride with 30% HCl and some seashells I was keeping for literally no reason at all. Over time I've gained more knowledge and experience, I didn't just wait to get into chemistry before getting tons of glassware or a PHD, I just got started with what I had available.
My first synthesis was calcium acetate from calcium carbonate and acetic acid :-) I also learned a lot - it's fascinating how even the simplest experiment gives you a ton of experience.
Now I’ve had time to think about this, I personally love watching your videos, I don’t understand most of it, but I do get the gist of what’s happening. (Some basics videos would be nice) Personally, I don’t think I would ever try to carry out any experiments my self, I’m not confident I understand enough of what’s going on to be able to do it safely. Having said that I would love it if universities and local schools had the ability for people to rent lab time, with supervisory support for people like me who have an interest but not the confidence to do it alone.
Thanks a lot, this video really helped me to start practical chemistry on my own. It's good to hear these type of recommendations when you want to start doing chemistry and trying not to kill yourself in the first attempt.
Although personally I'm happy to watch these videos without feeling the need to replicate any of the experiments, perhaps you could make a playlist of some of the safer/easier practicals for aspiring chemists to try? (Also 1.2k likes to 9 dislikes is actually incredible, congratulations!)
A good distillation start is just water... Distilled water is needed for other reactions so make it yourself while you familiarize yourself with the process...
I actually really liked orange oil for a first distillation, safe, but more of a feeling of accomplishment than moving water from one flask to another,
@@thefourthtuxzt3078 perhaps, we did it by pureeing orange skins (none of the white pith) in some water and straight distilling it over it worked pretty well and was a great introduction to the process of distillation
CJ the Lion I _almost _*_wish_* I felt the same, but fortunately I'm pretty paranoid and _love_ indexing information, so I feel like I'd stick to mostly benign stuff and keep all catalogued with crossed t's and dotted i's. I'm currently gathering source after source of safety information (thanks for the list and tips, Nile), don't really plan to deal with acids, and honestly care more about mechanical tinkering than chemical, so I don't plan on making a froth monster out of Chlorine Trifluoride anytime soon, lol, but In the end, I _do_ plan on doing some reactions I've seen the danger of the Dunning-Kreuger affect though, so I plan on learning even more than I have before anything serious. EDIT: Oh, and of course I make a plan to monitor and/or dispose of the chemicals properly. It is _crazy_ how many things can go wrong.
Thank you very much for everything. I have always had an interest in chemistry, but your videos really got me seriously invested in it. I'm currently finishing the last exams of highschool here in Germany. I will probably get a grade good enough to start studying biochemistry at one of Germany's best scientific universities right away. Thank you for everything you've done and continue to make videos.
Hey Nigel! I'm an early subscriber. Just found your channel about a week ago and finished all of your posted videos in both channels. Never knew chemist can be fascinated, fun, and dangerous at thr same time. So much things to explore. Keep up the good work and be safe for you, your brother, and your friends!
I’ve watched your channel for a handful of years and I first started with acetone under my bed dissolving abs when I was 7, and just now I’m realizing chemistry is actually really cool with all you can do
This is very important in all things, really. For example, things like using a tablesaw can be very dangerous. However, this shouldn't stop anyone from pursuing a hobby they enjoy. As long as you're always making sure that you're taking all the safety precautions necessary and have fun while doing it then all should be well and good.
There’s a side of me that’s always wanted to do stuff like this I just don’t ever have the time to do it and watching your videos get that side out. My curiosity of this stuff just comes out when I watch your videos love what you do awesome work please don’t stop!
I really appreciate your thoughts on this topic because you pretty much inspired me and a couple friends to take up chemistry as a hobby, but we follow your example and keep everything as safe as we can. We pretty much started just like you said- by choosing an experiment, and just doing it. After a few experiments, we had amassed enough chemicals and skills that we really needed some quality glassware and other tools, so we actually bought some of the NileRed branded beakers!
The safety lessons are definitely more effective if you experience them yourself. I’ve burned myself with hot sulfuric acid, 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my arms and got a drop in my eye. I’ve breathed in NO2 when I left open the stopped to a pressure equalized addition funnel (yeah something as simple as that). I’ve spilled concentrated NaOH on my pants and hoodies, so naturally that left some holes. Can’t say it’s a good idea to do any of those things, but you’re definitely more prepared for them after you’ve been through em a few times. You absolutely MUST know what to do in any of those situations beforehand.
Nile you rule ! I really enjoy your style, very descriptive, very professional, attention to detail. I will never do any chemistry, I really have no patience like you but I enjoy our videos a lot Please make more !
"this answer will be lame" gives a much better answer then most would such as " go to school", he partially inspired me to get into some small stuff to save money or or do cool stuff ( research weeks before starting, look up safety sheets on every chemical you use)
Thanks nile, you helped me find a love for the art. I've been doing a lot of studying and I've found my first project I want to do. I never thought it would be so much fun
Just got into University of Pennsylvania’s vagelos program with a major in biochemistry! I love chem and do my own projects all of the time, but in my schools AP chemistry classroom, not at home. I can’t imagine doing it without a fume hood and the proper glassware. Just finished with my luminol synthesis following your videos. I hope that I can continue to experiment in the future when I no longer have full access to a lab and the risk of hurting myself and others increases.
It is possible to do it safely without all the proper equipment. It is what i did for a couple years after all. However, I don't recommend it, and there were at least a few close calls.
Start by making soap. The first real thing I did was a duplication of your making wintergreen from asprin and methanol. I can't agree more though with how dangerous it is. The real problem I've had is working with gaseous chlorine. Also, have a head for physics and hydraulics and pneumatics and thermodynamics. Those are the things that will get you into trouble as they're usually not well spelled out in syntheses.
Not many hobbies are like amateur chemistry in where if you are dead wrong about something you might actually end up dead. And/or burn your house down, kill or permanently injure one or more of your family members, etc. You and only you are entirely responsible for what happens if you overlook something or make a mistake. That's asking an awful lot from a young person who's just learning chemistry and it's one of the reasons why people tend not to encourage or discourage the hobby. Now with that being said, the above does highly depend on what experiments you choose to do. Like someone else mentioned making sodium acetate from baking soda and vinegar is a great experiment for trying at home with very little risk of harm should something go wrong. A reagent like nitric acid on the other hand... my advice is to absolutely stay away from it. A big part of staying safe when experimenting involves being able to accurately predict ALL of the chemistry that may occur during a reaction and being prepared to handle ANY of the products produced. A reagent like nitric acid is so dangerous to use because it has the potential to react in many different ways with many different things all at once and it becomes very easy to overlook something.
Hi ! I'm on with your DIY Soap project, I bought NaOH, oils and all :) I'll put glove and gogles AS YOU SAID and be careful not to splash it or anything. That's a good exemple of (many I guess) people you inspired the good way to discovery Chem-Chem. I've been a chemistry enthousiath for very long I LOVE to learn how our world works. What triggered me to chemistry -may i say- way fluorescein. She was so beautiful I did a bit of research on it, and I found the structure of the molecule was *almost* as beautiful as the visual side of it! For the little story I made a stinking ball when I was ~15 yo and got expelled for school ^^ Now I profundly understand consequences, and I'm happy it happened this way. Meaning: always be way more careful than necessary instead of the other way round ! Hope you stay with us for long, Nile ;) PS: i'm french sorry for my approximative/funny writting
I have been starting think about making a small home lab. I'm a former chemistry student and have a couple years of experience in the practical side of things, and I have always enjoyed it when I was working on it. Now however I no longer study chemistry, the itch however is still there. I feel a lot of people who want to get into it for a hobby might indeed not realise how dangerous chemistry might actually be for their well being if done improperly. That being said, your channels have been an inspiration for me and have kept that itch going. Thanks for that. A question for you though, have you ever had a police visit or anything of the sorts, a lot of amateur chemists seem to be fearful of having their glassware taken or destroyed even when doing fully legal chemistr because of law enforcement mixing them up with less savory home labs.
Yesterday, I began my hobby chemistry journey with a baking soda and vinegar volcano. Tomorrow, I'll make some black powder in the basement. I'll be distilling mercury by Saturday. All thanks to you!! J/k I'm not a chemist, just a dad who likes to dabble with safe stuff and watch your videos.
For chemical fires, particularly those that may involve flammable liquids, metals, or reactive substances, the appropriate fire extinguisher types include: 1. **Dry Powder Extinguishers**: These are often used for Class D fires, which involve combustible metals (like sodium, potassium, or magnesium). Dry powder extinguishers work by smothering the fire and preventing access to oxygen. 2. **CO2 Extinguishers**: Carbon dioxide extinguishers are effective for Class B fires involving flammable liquids and electrical fires. They work by displacing oxygen and cooling the fire. 3. **Foam Extinguishers**: Suitable for Class B fires involving flammable liquids, foam extinguishers form a layer on the surface of the liquid, cutting off the fire’s access to oxygen. **Note:** In a chemistry lab, the specific type of fire extinguisher needed depends on the materials and chemicals being used. Always ensure that the fire extinguisher is suitable for the types of fires most likely to occur in that environment. Additionally, proper training on how to use these extinguishers is crucial for safety.
I feel the same way with carpentry, you can’t just know what to get and all of a sudden you’re a carpenter, you need a tool and you just go buy it, and suddenly your repertoire has been expanded
Really your channel reintroduced me to chemistry. Learning chemistry at school I enjoyed it less and less as time went on. Watching your enthusiasm and the understandable explanations are really engaging. Thanks.
As a student currently currently doing my Bachelor's degree in Chemistry in Spain, I find your videos very interesting and they make me want to try many experiments on your main channel, but infortunately I don't have access to much equipment and chemical products. If I were to make a list of things to do to start with it would be: 1- Research the reagents and the products in terms of security, disposal, ...etc. And come up with a project that could be possible to do according to your situation. 2- Material to start (I recommend): Beakers, Erlenmeyers, filter funnel (with filter paper), graduated pipette and cylinder (measure volume), scale (measure weight), stirring rod, heat source (better without flame), thermometer, pH paper. 3- Reagents: Strong acid to start sulphuric acid (most stable? HCl is gas dissolved, HNO3 is oxidant), strong base NaOH, weak base sodium bicarbonate (in your kitchen), NaCl, CaCl2 (found in hardware stores, drugstores), distilled water, ethanol 96º, ...etc. Keep in mind: do experiments in well ventilated area, wear gloves, glasses and coat to protect yourself (I am sure you already knew that :) ). Best of luck to y'all! PD. the extraction of citric acid from lemons, making soap or extracting DNA are nice starting projects.
The pick an experiment and do it line is the best way to do it👌 Id only add that they research the dangers for each experiment or lack there of and the reasons why its safe or unsafe conditions for said outcomes I think thats why that knowledge is cemented in your head. Btw lots of respect for the knowledge man, keep up the pristine content you deserve every dollar you earn
I agree with everything really well here. I get questions a lot, even about energetic materials. It puts me at an odd point because, I don't want to encourage people to make explosives at all. It is dangerous and pretty illegal in most places. Yet, if they want advice, it seems they are doing it anyway, and often the advice is safety things like, "how do I make xxx safely" and... I feel bad for refusing to help people no hurt themselves... So i feel bad and responsible having answered or not answered the question. Is a tough one
I first started out distilling essential oils and moved on to soxhlet extractions and then purifying and concentrating and vacuum distillations . I do what I feel comfortable doing. yourself, nurdrage and Cody's lab is what started me off so thank you for that.
I've always had the interest to mix things when I was little and it's the reason I wanted to pursue chemistry now and I got more interested because I saw your videos and made me learn more about safety and precautions necessary.
This video gives really good advice. I used to do a lot of chemical experiments when I was young, and it hapened exactly as described in this video, a natural development from an interest to do experiments I found described in books (this was long before the Internet). But, yes, I also got a chemistry experimentation box or whatever it is called in English, with perhaps 10-15 chemicals, some glassware etc. and a booklet with experiments described (this option is not mentioned in the video, but I think it is a good idea). But the best experiments I made was from a book that I found at the library, it was called "Kemi som hobby" in Swedish ("Chemistry as a hobby" in English). I later on, as the years passed by, lost that book, but just recently I found it on a second-hand online book shop, so I bought it and have it here on my desk now. There is always a tendency that some experiments you would like to do are dangerous, so one has to find the balance to know how far you will go. Another thing to remember is that some experiments are really difficult to succeed with. Quite a few of NileRed's experiments are rather advanced and difficult to perform. So, at least in the beginning, don't try the advanced stuff, you will only be disappointed. You can do more advanced things later on when your skill and experience have developed.
I think this was helpful. I'm speaking for myself, but one of the things I would like to know is how to obtain the level of knowledge that you have about performing chemical reactions, and I think that your answer is fair. There's nothing to it but to do it.
Fan from Burlington Ontario! I am very impressed with your skill at both chemistries, preparations, and video production! Please keep up the GREAT work SIR!
I started about 2 years ago. I was inspired by a King of Random Sugar Rocket video. As I first got into Chemistry I started by raiding my local grocery store along with a list of common chemicals, I then went to the dollar store for glassware.I started by trying to purify what I bought and make what I could with I had. A few months later I went to the hardware store for my first bottle of Hydrochloric Acid and worked with it in small doses. After a month I got my first Flask and Graduated Cylinders slowly but surely got more and more equipment and labware. After a year I acquired a pretty impressive hobbiest lab. If you are working with dangerous chemicals I recommend working with them in smallest amounts needed for what you are doing. I have filled my lab with smoke, Nitrogen Dioxide, Chlorine Gas. Luckily my lab is in my Recording Studio which is on commercial property and a fire escape door is in the lab room for ventilation. Also I mistake I made was not messing something up but something working really well and being stunned/clueless on what to do with it. This happened on my 4th Nitric Acid production attempt. Was thinking the concentration would not be too crazy. Wound up making red fuming nitric acid and was terrified of it. I left it in a beaker with rubber for about 6 months and forgot about it. Wound up almost eating thru stopper completely. Finally had the balls to deal with it a week later.
I want to learn chemistry because i think i can do it, but I don't have the skills yet (neither the money to pay for a college and get a degree) but your videos are always an inspiration for me to learn little things first and then try myself with a couple simple projects, so thanks for doing what you're doing! :)
Radio Shack used to have electronics kits and Sears and JC Penney had chemistry kits when I was a kid. They had instructions and most of the experiments were pretty safe.
Glad the channels coming back. But hey, I've made a few ghetto fume hoods in my day (kitchen hoods, water and carbon scrubber exhaust and a window), you should do one an good household appliances/items to sore chems or venting and such. I've seen a lot of newbies do some stuff storing chems or knowing when and where to distill. Or the people dabbing in garages while carrying out butane extracts lmfao for the cynical comedy side of clandestine chemistry.
Also if you are an absolute beginner start with some of these experiments: Make sodium acetate from vinegar and baking soda. You can use a beaker or Erlenmeyer flask and you'll see how quickly things foam up. The sodium acetate can be used to make your own hot ice. Relatively safe. Once you have it and you become much more advanced and safe you can use the anhydrous form to make glacial acetic acid. Simple double displacement reactions. Road salts usually contain a mixture of chloride salts. Try making the carbonate forms and purifying each one separately. It'll be difficult and challenging. If you can separate the calcium carbonate, you can use that to jellyfy a *small* amount of rubbing alcohol and do a small burn test of your "napalm" Make oxygen with MnO2 and hydrogen peroxide. Mn compounds are toxic but nothing crazy. It'll teach you how to begin dealing with waste responsibly. The gas generation will also let you see how some reactions can just get too violent. Do some pH stuff. Try some titrations using a pipette, vinegar as your acid, and a base like sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is very caustic but if you treat it right and learn about it's properties you can do this safely with PPE. You can do some fun copper salt chemistry too. While I say not to touch ammonia, you can use copper sulfate (you can find this in hardware stores) and a large excess of ammonia to make a complex called copper sulfate tetraamine. It has a beautiful color and the reagents are somewhat hazardous but you'd have a hard time killing yourself with them or creating some horrible accidents. Wear goggles, gloves, and some sort of jacket or coat so that you don't have to drape the chemicals over your face while taking off a shirt. Don't touch the following household chemicals until you know better (you won't for a long while): Ammonia Concentrated drain cleaners Bleach of any sorts Stump removers Heavy metals like lead and mercury
Thanks! Really, coming from you this is one of the few times in my life I listened and believed in a safety talk. One becomes numb and cynical about this stuff with the force-feeding of impractical nonsense corporate safety material, just for liability.
Chemistry safety, as you said, is extremely important needs 100% attention. I made a batch of flash powder and mixed the powder incorrectly introducing a high amount of friction causing the entire batch to go off in my face. I had a high risk of losing my eye sight but ended up with only scratches and scarring on my cornea (still not good) but my vision has made a nose full recovery to 20/20 opposed to when I went to the ER and couldn't even read the top level of the eye chart. You gotta be careful with chemicals. Things could've went a lot worse for me but luckily they didnt and since that incident I've had PTSD of that night that plays through my head. Not a fun time.
In the University Chem Labs in the Science Building we had fume hoods with scrubbers, fire proof benches, stools and walls, fire extinguishers, fire walls and more fire escape routes than any other rooms in the building. We wore safety goggles, fire resistant lab coats and non reactive safety gloves. There were still some lab accidents. This is not something for sheds in the yard or home basements.
Agreed! You don't buy every tool and thing you need at once, you buy a few tools for one project and then after the umpteenth project you'll have collected multiple tools and equipment over the span of those projects. You don't just go out and buy everything you *might* need at once, it builds up over time.
Some chemicals and chemistry experiments are dangerous, but the most dangerous thing in a chemistry lab is the chemist himself. If you know what you're doing, if have plenty of experience, if you put in place every possible safety measure and you always respect the stuff you're working with, the vast majority of chemicals can be controlled even within amateur set-ups.
I AM ENRAGED!!! I have been asking for a chem set for months now, my birthday is coming up so I thought I could seize the opportunity and get one. I watched this video in front of my mother and my dreams have been crushed, YES I agree chemistry is a very dangerous hobby...BUT NOT TO SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN STUDYING THOROUGHLY FOR MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!
I am genuinely concerned for the safety of people I found your channel a couple weeks back and have loved it and your safety precautions are on point when I was 12 I had neglected safety and blown myself up burnt myself and flash blinded myself now I realise how stupid I was and began using safety gear
How about making this your ultimate goal for this channel? Experiments that can be done with minimal tools and glassware, can be run with chemicals that aren't too terribly restricted, etc. Then maybe some primers on how to properly measure/weigh chemicals. Processes that you can use to test if the experiment was a success. Over time, do exactly what you said in this video: add another type of glassware, heater, distillation column, etc. so that maybe fans can keep up and follow along. Maybe set a budget of 100 or 200 dollars per month and only add as much as can be afforded. You can also put the items in your store and put them on sale. You already support the community so much, this seems like a clear way of offering your help in that area you're a little unsure about.
As a Hazardous Materials Technician, I have come across so much stuff I was uncomfortable with. I have trust in the Chemist that I was there to support. During the late 90’s and early 2000’s my primary job was shutting down active clandestine methamphetamine labs, classifying the chemicals and packaging up for transport and disposal. If I was to provide any advice as a ex-borderline amateur into basic chemistry. I would suggest purchasing safety equipment and apparel. 2nd advice is study and read as much verified and trusted sources of information then double check it against another source before proceeding. I don’t know how I’m still around because of my ignorance and extreme stupidity during my youth. My hobby is now as another person mentioned, watching You (Nile) perform and demonstrate. Thank You.
I was so happy to find your videos. I have a bachelors degree in chemistry, and I LOVED school so much, but I haven’t been able to find a job since I graduated and I don’t know what I want to specialize in enough to apply for grad school. This sounds really cheesy, but for real, watching your videos makes me feel like I can still find a part of me that I’m missing while I try to get my life together, working a normal retail job that doesn’t really stimulate my brain too much, lol. Hopefully I can find a start to my career soon, but in the meantime I keep finding myself designing experiments in pretty much any aspect of life- i have a lab notebook just for that silly stuff. But I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to get back into the chemistry mindset that I love so much.
If you loved school that means your teachers were doing something right as i am sure most people would say that they hated school and they only went for free food and social interaction as teachers usually never were fun or great at catching a kids interests when teaching at least here in the US. Hell as a kid i despised math as it felt like they shoved it down our throats in every fucking class even art class to the point my math scores actually got lower as apparently my brain was filtering that out especially in art class where i literally seen no practical applications and that's what a lot of artists do they don't know much or care about math hell they don't constantly use it as if we are talking about people that draw they have done so for a long ass time to the point they actually got good at it without the math because it is mostly harmless trial and error. I have always been a hands on person so theories and that bull shit always gets thrown out the window as my slow ass learning self never understood them but the practical applications i aced which does actually help learn some maths as again practicality tied within the lesson is important like "How much to tip your waiter based on their service" type of lessons you know practical shit to get kids ready for real life and i think that was 5th grade i don't remember. Anyways there are a lot of science related jobs you can do such as a service for extracting gold and other metals from circuit boards even if it is not a lot in the boards. But if you know some chemistry and how to safely extract the metals because melting the boards down releases toxic fumes so a good gas mask while outside or fume hood is needed but point is you can make a good bit of money especially if you show videos on you doing it, and you can say "If the order is just extracting one thing without specifying all the metals that you want from the board(s) i have the right to keep the rest of the metals and only give you what you requested" You know do so many boards and you can melt the rest of the spare metals together into individual ingots and sell those which over time will net you more money than just whatever price you charge to extract the metals in the first place. And obviously probably don't extract Uranium as the governments don't like people posting that stuff just look at what happened with Codyslab and took what they thought were contaminated but they did leave the Uranium as it depends on where one lives but you are allowed to own some and it is not dangerous as long as it don't get inside you Also if scrapping stuff is more so your thing Copper is king as it is abundant as it is in just about every electronics and huge amounts in power supplies as it is conductive and usually goes for $3.50 USD per pound. The amount of copper you can extract from just about anything mostly brass is insane or magnesium brass coating, but just don't go melting down coins for their copper content as that would be illegal if you plan to sell them for the copper value otherwise you can melt them down so melting them down into ingots or bars for the customers are totally fine at least here in the us as long as they don't tell you that they plan on selling them as then you get into a grey area since you are not melting them and extracting the copper on the intent to sell them you are just providing them a service on melting stuff down and giving it back. But you really gotta look into the laws on where that person live and where you live as here in the majority of the US it is not illegal to melt, destroy, make, or modify US coins unless the objective is fraudulent or the intent on selling the raw material for profit. So melting down coins is a grey area as they the person interested in the service pay upfront send the materials to you and you extract it and send it back, but contact your lawyer before you do that as a thing you don't want to do is interpret the law wrong as the US code of regulations do say "(b) The prohibition contained in § 82.1 against the treatment of 5-cent coins and one-cent coins shall not apply to the treatment of these coins for educational, amusement, novelty, jewelry, and similar purposes as long as the volumes treated and the nature of the treatment makes it clear that such treatment is not intended as a means by which to profit solely from the value of the metal content of the coins." I am not sure if that law is outdated you will have to look up the current one and i am assuming you are from the states and if not then you have to look up your laws
@@JohnnyYeTaecanUktena A good science teacher can make school really fun. Two of my favorite professors were science teachers and regularly ran cool experiments from the classroom. Ironically, my chemistry teacher was boring as hell but I had some awesome Biology professors that really made learning seemingly boring stuff quite interesting.
If you are new to chemistry, start with the basics. Get your an introductory chemistry set that will show you to basic chemicals and interactions. Book reading is great. Your public library will usually have books about chemistry. Even if they seem like older books, the principles of chemistry haven't changed for a very long time. If you can find the videos of Mr. Wizard, Don Herbert taught an introduction to chemistry in a very entertaining way. He introduced many people to chemistry. There are safe reactions you can do with home chemicals. But, they can also be dangerous. Do not experiment unless you understand whats going to happen. Follow a guide.
I'm really glad you made this video. While interesting, chemistry is also an extremely dangerous intellectual pursuit and people should educate themselves in the potential risks.
You're not like other TH-camrs, you keep it real. I have knowledge in Applied Chemistry from college and even I barely have confidence when conducting experiments without assistance. It's just the reality, chemistry isn't coding, it's legitimately dangerous. Doesn't mean you can't appreciate it theoretically and stick to basic experiments though.
Valid AF. I started doing chemistry in my garage when I was 16. In the span of a couple months i inhaled straight Hydrogen Chloride gas (drank 3L of water, took some Calcium Carbonate, and layed in bed for 2 days. Everything hurt, and I coughed a little blood lmao). I also got dilute H2SO4 on my hands. Had to wash and neutralize. Only had a rash for a couple days. And I had many many more accidents. I am finally not a moron tho so I use proper PPE. Just finished my first succesful O-chem lab yesterday. Made TCM and used it to make chloretone :) thanks for everything you've taught me bro!! Stay safe y'all
I was waiting for you to say exactly that, "just do it." This goes for anything in life. So long as you really hold yourself accountable, you'll accomplish anything. Oh, and safety is tantamount. Again, in all things we do- we only have one life, and it's not worth losing over a chemistry, or anything for that matter.
Just wanna say, I think you’re extremely handsome nile. I’ve learned so much from you and I even showed my teacher so now we watch your videos in class. I love watching your videos and your voice is so soothing. You and Cody’s lab should collab sometime!! Keep up the good work!! @NileBlue
I agree chemistry is pretty dangerous. I started as a stupid kid and managed to never get hurt but could've very well gotten hurt. When I got some strong acids I always wore safety goggles a lab coat and other PPE. I wasn't very safe but safe enough to get lucky. It's been a couple years and I have since advanced into a much safer amateur chemist. I am performing legit synthesis, taking all of the necessary precautions, ALWAYS staying by the reaction (almost all of the close calls I had were when I left something alone DON'T EVER DO THAT (I don't care if it's outside, I don't care if it's outside, I don't care that nothing should happen, STAY BY YOUR REACTIONS PEOPLE AND HAVE EVERYTHING PLANNED OUT AHEAD), having proper PPE for the job, storing chemicals the right way (I used to store my sodium hydroxide right next to the calcium carbide, and all of my acids. I also found some MnO2 near the HCl. That was a disaster waiting to happen. I got very very lucky that I never had a serious incident. I am now more careful than most chemists in a real lab. I have to be. I get to know the chemicals weeks before I get them and familiarize myself with all of the reactions. Possible side products, hazards, chemical hazards, etc. There is always a risk no matter how prepared you are but you can minimize it as much as possible. The goal is to get to a negligible risk to no risk. And even if you get there, prepare for the worst. The glass cracks and spills your hot nitric acid into an olive oil bath, the reaction foams over and you are releasing corrosive and toxic gases. Something as simple as a small spill can catch you off guard if you're not prepared for it. Plan (I can't stress planning, do dry runs with water and salt as your chemicals), prepare (bring ALL of the PPE you would possibly need and make sure you wear the right stuff and have the right stuff on hand), and execute the plan (don't try to diverge from the plan unless you have to. Being able to think things out beforehand with a calm mind and lots of time is priceless. Have people double check your work and don't get upset/take it personally if they tell you to not do that. There is a reason and listen. Just be safe and start safe. The more experience you get the better of a chemist you will become. Be responsible and plan ahead for the reaction, side reactions, possible emergencies, PPE, waste (don't forget waste, I know I often did), and work outside with a fan! Just working outside doesn't cut it for lots of stuff. I used to work outside all the time and even then a whiff of acid fumes can catch you off guard. Wear a respirator with proper filters and get a fan. In my experience, gases and fumes have been my worst enemy. I hate them and they scare me. I use a good non sparking fan to blow away and disperse vapors right away. I still have a respirator for certain things. Look up odor threshold, IDLH, and exposure limits. The ppm are hard to tell what is safe and what isn't but look at things you know are relatively non toxic like acetone, and compare the values to something like HCl. HCl is a lot more dangerous than acetone and the MSDS data will tell you that since the exposure numbers are a lot smaller. I wish there was a site that gave out such information very easily and accessibly. I want to make something like that but probably lack the time or effort. Sciencemadness is a good place to start but don't follow what a lot of people do there. They tend to take safety less seriously than people in r/chemistry. Have fun but stay safe! Also get a fire extinguisher. Just do it. Lots of flammable solvents exist and lots of things can catch fire. Get an ABC extinguisher. I have one that costed me $20. It's not the best since it's small but it's absolutely better than nothing. Make sure whatever is possibly flammable can be put out with your extinguisher too. Don't use water unless you know it is okay to use. A mineral oil bath fire can have water put onto it but an olive oil bath cannot. Avoid using olive oil anyway. Just buy baby oil.
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There are lots of legal restrictions too (depending on country you live in). Some chemicals are regulated and it may not be legal to make them either. Making pharmaceuticals can be illegal too. I mean rather innocent ones like aspirine or ibuprofene, not drugs like meth. For example EU regulates items like nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide (precursors for explosives) and both EU and US regulate many chemicals considered a precursor for drugs or a chemical needed for some drug related synthesis steps (like some allotropes of phosphorus).
When I studied chemistry it was mostly a combination of theory (reading lots of books and listening lectures about why some stuff happens) and then trying those up in the lab. In the lab you need good habits for safety that can be difficult to figure out yourself. It is also very easy to slip into bad habbits when there is nobody else correcting you constantly like in a shared lab.
Everyone working in a lap needs a habit of reading msds sheets for all chemicals you use and preferably everything you make too. That gives you quickly some sense like assuming most bromides are bad for you and most oxidesers come with fire and/or explosion hazard. Of cause the general rules are not enough but they are good to learn as well.
I think hobby chemistry can be very limited in some countries (like no nitrations to get amines due to lack of nitric acid or at least a lot of paperwork to get some). You may need to be very careful if for example manufacturing any pharmaceutical agent is illegal. In a professional lab it was much easier with no such constraints.
Very good points.
Yeah I live in the UK and there are loads of things that NileRed makes and uses that are flat out illegal in the UK.
@@Lee117five0 I think the common ones (like nitric acid) is easy to remember but when you get into the list of every prescription drug there is, the list gets very very long. In my country that list also includes some items that doctors are not allowed to prescribe because the drug is not considered safe (that list may be common to all EU). Making any of those on the list is considered half as bad as making meth at home.
It is much simpler with inorganic chemistry though. EU list has mostly oxidesers, like nitrates and chlorates. No making black powder here!
You can get nitric acid. But only 3% and it isn’t legal to distill it.
It is definitely easy to slip into bad habits when there is nobody in the lab to correct you, even when you are experienced.
The safety aspect is no joke. I was young and dumb when I got started and almost killed myself trying to distill nitric acid in my room with no ventilation.
Chemistry is no joke
Yep, I remember doing my first experiment with eggshells and concentrated acetic acid in a closed garage and heating the acid on a hot plate... I’m still convinced my sense of smell would be stronger if I’d just been a little smarter and asked my chemistry teacher to OK my setup first.
I almost lost an eye as a teenager trying to purify nitric acid using DCM and conc sulphuric acid, the lens dropped out of my safety goggles into my reaction mix and splashed it onto my face. Certainly taught me a valuable lesson about using proper (and not broken) safety equipment.
@@zeo_crash7984 One time i got Sulphuric splattering everywhere due to a old repeater pipette, so we all have had Sulphuric incidences at one point or another. But I'm glad to hear nothing terrible happened to you
Good times eh. Almost lost my life about 3 times last year for dumb mistakes. Learned a lot tho.
NileBlue "In this short chemistry video we'll go through the process of extracting thoughts from my brain."
I hope its not an exothermic reaction!!!
This video has me convinced that NileRed is Lawful Good while Cody’s Lab is Chaotic Good.
Facts
ehhh.. Cody Might even be Chaotic Neutral... Nurdrage is more the Chaotic Good.
Haha very good, although credit to Cody, he did get a fume hood not too long ago! 🤣
I agree!
lol
A good message that not enough chemists and such on youtube seem to ever bring up. Thanks for being frank about it :)
I would love to start... but It's very difficult to start something simple as guys like NileRed, NurdRage, Champlayer, Codys lab covered very wide range of subjects in chemistry. Make something new, interesting and... "safe enough" is really hard. Maybe I'm wrong and somebody can tell me :)
@@DragonisRed1 I think it's important to just find something you enjoy and dive in. Research your topic, experience your topic, perform your topic - if it's something that grabs onto you the same way you hold onto it, then pop out a camera and everyone will feel your passion :)
@@StormBurnX I feel it in same way that eventually there would be smbd to watch my videos. Also one thing that was already mentioned here I live in EU and it's really super difficult to get some things to my hands... I can't just buy liters of methanol on gas station (for e.g.). And in my country by law I need a degree in chemistry which I have but another 3 years of full time lab experience (which I wasn't able to get while studying obviously) to be able tu purchase chemicals and on some I even need to have certification. So I'm pretty limited to available stuff and some "shady" offers from poeple who got chemicals (i don't want to know how). I have an idea what's missing in this specific field so maybe I'll come up with smth eventually.
@@DragonisRed1 sounds like you've got a good idea of what obstacles are in your way and how to overcome them :)
@@StormBurnX Oh sure... it is not just blaming boo hoo I want but I can't and do smth. But my point was: why it's so rare to have people doing chemistry on YT. Also Chemplayer isn't here anymore because he struggled with strikes... from what I know.. so I would be very glad (NR)^2 and Cody are still here
Maybe you should also talk about your college times and your degree in biochem
yes please
@@edsradio5817 hey bot STFU
@@Yourenotmyuser i know i'm a bit late but this is what the channel's description says: "In terms of education, I have a BSc in Biochemistry, with a minor in pharmacology. However, I've always been a lot more drawn to applied chemistry. So after finishing my degree, I worked as a lab tech in an organic lab, and then as a chemistry grad student. However, I ended up leaving my graduate studies early to focus on this channel."
didn't you read the title? hobby?
"how do you pick up chemistry experiments as a hobby" "you learn the chemistry behind it first"
Thank you for being real unlike other chemists on TH-cam it’s really cool and helpful thank you
up next: "Pouring Different Acids on my hand"
This isnt Cody'slab
@@marklipowskyjr.5481 Nile actually did this. th-cam.com/video/XeVZQoJ5FdE/w-d-xo.html
Or... "watch me gargle mercury".
I think that video shows safety more than all the other videos. Simply because it shows that you should think before acting ones something "bad" happens. In this video its on purpose but it shows that there is time to make a rational decision if you get acid on your hands.
@@photonicpizza1466 yo the vid isnt available or? hoping someone might rep even tho im a year late 😅
I completely agree with this advice. I remember the first time I saw a project I wanted to do and had all of the chemicals and glassware I needed already on hand from previous projects, it felt great.
From my perspective as a chemist myself I cannot stress out enough how true you are, especially when you got to the dangerous point.
There a countless simple, non-dangerous synthesis availiable in books, you don't need to go to an University to study a bit of chemistry I guess
Chemistry kits can still be a good way to start, even for adults.
That's what got me started... Doing the hydrogen "squeeky pop" experiment repeatedly at 7yr old lol
Well chemistry kits are usually designed to be safe such as putting a rock in a solution to make synthesized jade grow from it which you can find at a dollar store here in the US for kids of course. And let me tell you trying to get those jade crystals to bound with Pyrite is a pain in the ass as it does not want to however it does happen every now and then and usually easily breaks off of the Pyrite though i did get one that did not break off and it did change the color of the Pyrite to a lighter green mixed with its usual Pyrite color
@@scrappydoo7887 what got me started are simple flame tests such as a sodium flame in a sodium lamp produces a black fire as i thought all those different color of fires was cool. More cool if you walk up to a house on Halloween and see their jack o'lanterns have actual blue fire so a simple sodium backlight with a sodium flame you get a black fire for your jack o'lantern. Though a kids curiosity is something you want to watch as they can accidently make something that produces toxic fumes as they are mixing shit together and burning shit just to see what happens
@@JohnnyYeTaecanUktena I agree with you completely there, I generated quite a lot of nitrogen dioxide in my mum's kitchen through nitrate salts and sulfuric acid.
It's definitely one to supervise but it Gabe me a life long fascination with silence and chemistry especially so I think the good that's done is worth it
It's staggering the stuff you can buy on the internet
Chemistry As a Hobby without formal training like an apprenticeship or a chemistry degree of some sort sounds really bad. to work safely you have to know so many details about, propertys, hazards, reactions or side reactions, so you don't fuck something up and hurt yourself or people around you, so I can't recommend that.
I generally agree that some sort of formal training is important. Otherwise you are pretty likely to make a lot of basic and potentially dangerous mistakes.
I agree completely.
I would definitely agree with this. I can't imagine a lot of amateur chemists without some sort of academic or industrial experience would think to check the MSDS for their reagents/products, for example.
Even with 8 years of training in chemistry, I wouldn't want to do chemistry at home.
Second that
I'm going to study Chemical engineering. I thing it is enough. :D
Nile Blue: I'd not recommend destilation...
Me: proceeds to finish my ethanol destilation
lol
The good thing about ethanol distillation though is that it’s a VERY well understood and documented process. There are plenty of resources from enthusiast brewers to high school chem students that can provide really solid information. It’s pretty difficult to stuff up.
In comparison, I had to distil some cinamaldehyde in the lab once and the whole thing kept crystallising in my glassware. I ended up having to run HOT water through my condenser to get things to flow and ultimately ended up in a really uncomfortable situation where everything was too hot to touch and I had almost no control of the situation. Definitely not something I’d want to do without a lab technician to brainstorm ideas with...
The whole process smelled amazing though :p
You're very unlikely to hurt yourself distilling ethanol though.
@@elnombre91 yeah, I know. At the worst I could maybe get a bit drunk if I had a leak or burn myself. Thankfully, none of that happened
@@AdreaSnow I agree, as soon as you don't screw something up a lot, it isn't that hard. Actually for me the hardest part was to get controlled heat, so only the ethanol evaporated. I don't have a proper heather, so I just placed a beaker in some nearly boiling water and it worked just fine
Love the safety info. I'm going to start by simply making solid soap, which some people might not even think of as a chemistry experiment, and consider doing other simple things from there.
Making soap is what got me into chemistry! It's so rewarding, just don't get discouraged if not every batch is perfect right away.
But eye protection is obviously a must.
*_What you need:_*
Vinegar
Baking Soda
*_What to do:_*
Mix them
*_What's the use:_*
Inflate a balloon, make a volcano, a cake etc
*_Who are you:_*
_A chemist. Or a chef. Or some human that enjoys chemical reactions_
Ima try this
Don't forget to make a plastic bag explode when they react. Though my dad did it with glass bottles when he was a kid
Watching your video have been always my guilty pleasure, i'm a chemistry student and your videos is my inspiration and give so much advantages, so in the future i really want to be like you, enjoying chemistry in a fun way, thank you nile red/nile blue
That is some really good advice right there. I wish I heard that 4 years ago. I never stopped to ask myself WHY did I suddenly think I wanted to get in to chemistry. I've played with different sciences all my life and haven't touched chemistry since I was 10 playing with a used chemistry set I bought at a rummage sale. But about 4 years ago, I got the urge and I collected all sorts of online literature and chemistry books in pfd form and started buying gear, $150, then $400... I finally stopped after I bought about $600+ worth of gear. Once I acquired all the gear, I suddenly realized the interest was gone and I had to stop and ask myself why. It turns out I was subconsciously trying to recreate how I felt about myself when I was a kid. As a child, when I started buying chemistry stuff people started looking at me differently. My friends came over to "my lab". Hell, I didn't know anything about chemistry beyond a bit about the pH scale. But because I played with test tubes and glassware and chemicals, people started treating me as a little professor or a little adult . Many years have passed and I now realize I was mostly reaching for something you just can't get back simply from owning gear.
Very underrated comment actually
Nile, you're one of the few youtubers I would listen to talk about literally everything. I'm so glad that you revived this channel, it is something I wished you would do a long while ago. ❤
Aw, me too. He's so good...
Im 16 and I do my own film developing, it's a good thing to start with a would say. None of the chemicals are very dangerous and it gives practice for safety precautions. You have to be very precise to get good results too.
WHo the fuck asked you
you are one my motivations for wanting to major in chemistry and I would really love to do stuff similar to you, doing random fun reactions, and showing people. I love science and ever since I've seen you just doing them for fun, it's really helped me to push for what I want to do in life
This should be watched along with the NileBlue video "Chemistry is dangerous". These two go along great together. I watched Chemistry is dangerous first and then watched this one and it's like the two were made to be seen together.
Nigel, you are an amazing person. I really enjoy your videos and your mission to teach chemistry.
Three videos in a week, your on a roll 😆
This is how I got started a few months ago. I didn't really know where to start until I needed a desiccant (for my bees). So instead of buying some desiccant online, I decided to just make calcium chloride with 30% HCl and some seashells I was keeping for literally no reason at all. Over time I've gained more knowledge and experience, I didn't just wait to get into chemistry before getting tons of glassware or a PHD, I just got started with what I had available.
My first synthesis was calcium acetate from calcium carbonate and acetic acid :-) I also learned a lot - it's fascinating how even the simplest experiment gives you a ton of experience.
Now I’ve had time to think about this, I personally love watching your videos, I don’t understand most of it, but I do get the gist of what’s happening. (Some basics videos would be nice)
Personally, I don’t think I would ever try to carry out any experiments my self, I’m not confident I understand enough of what’s going on to be able to do it safely.
Having said that I would love it if universities and local schools had the ability for people to rent lab time, with supervisory support for people like me who have an interest but not the confidence to do it alone.
Thanks a lot, this video really helped me to start practical chemistry on my own. It's good to hear these type of recommendations when you want to start doing chemistry and trying not to kill yourself in the first attempt.
Although personally I'm happy to watch these videos without feeling the need to replicate any of the experiments, perhaps you could make a playlist of some of the safer/easier practicals for aspiring chemists to try?
(Also 1.2k likes to 9 dislikes is actually incredible, congratulations!)
A good distillation start is just water... Distilled water is needed for other reactions so make it yourself while you familiarize yourself with the process...
I actually really liked orange oil for a first distillation, safe, but more of a feeling of accomplishment than moving water from one flask to another,
@@trumpeteer240 but wouldn't a soxlet extractor be better for that?
@@thefourthtuxzt3078 perhaps, we did it by pureeing orange skins (none of the white pith) in some water and straight distilling it over it worked pretty well and was a great introduction to the process of distillation
Thanks for the disclaimer Nile. It shows you do care for the safety of your fan community. I do appreciate the sincerity.
I don't feel the need to mess around with dangerous chemicals when I can just watch you do it haha
So thank you! I love your videos! Stay safe!!!
Stay safe. Let me risk my life!
CJ the Lion
I _almost _*_wish_* I felt the same, but fortunately I'm pretty paranoid and _love_ indexing information, so I feel like I'd stick to mostly benign stuff and keep all catalogued with crossed t's and dotted i's.
I'm currently gathering source after source of safety information (thanks for the list and tips, Nile), don't really plan to deal with acids, and honestly care more about mechanical tinkering than chemical, so I don't plan on making a froth monster out of Chlorine Trifluoride anytime soon, lol, but In the end, I _do_ plan on doing some reactions
I've seen the danger of the Dunning-Kreuger affect though, so I plan on learning even more than I have before anything serious.
EDIT: Oh, and of course I make a plan to monitor and/or dispose of the chemicals properly. It is _crazy_ how many things can go wrong.
That's my favourite part of chemistry so far. The dangerous stuff.
That said, I would rather not risk my life with sub-amateur equipment lmao.
Thank you very much for everything. I have always had an interest in chemistry, but your videos really got me seriously invested in it. I'm currently finishing the last exams of highschool here in Germany. I will probably get a grade good enough to start studying biochemistry at one of Germany's best scientific universities right away. Thank you for everything you've done and continue to make videos.
I'm also interested in doing science at a university in Germany. Do you mind me asking, what is the university? Good luck, that sounds fantastic.
Can you please do one on cleaning glassware
Damn, I better disassemble my distillation equipment and put the drain cleaner back in the cupboard, lol
Cool. I’ll just start by distilling fermented corn!
perfectly legal (in the US) as long as you don't sell it
Check your state laws too
I find this applies to a ton of things in life. Very good advice
Am I seriously here after watching dr.stone?
I begun with a children's chemistry set.
Hey Nigel! I'm an early subscriber. Just found your channel about a week ago and finished all of your posted videos in both channels. Never knew chemist can be fascinated, fun, and dangerous at thr same time. So much things to explore. Keep up the good work and be safe for you, your brother, and your friends!
I’ve watched your channel for a handful of years and I first started with acetone under my bed dissolving abs when I was 7, and just now I’m realizing chemistry is actually really cool with all you can do
This is very important in all things, really. For example, things like using a tablesaw can be very dangerous. However, this shouldn't stop anyone from pursuing a hobby they enjoy. As long as you're always making sure that you're taking all the safety precautions necessary and have fun while doing it then all should be well and good.
I'm glad you're not downplaying the safety aspect. It is serious stuff that shouldn't just be overlooked.
There’s a side of me that’s always wanted to do stuff like this I just don’t ever have the time to do it and watching your videos get that side out. My curiosity of this stuff just comes out when I watch your videos love what you do awesome work please don’t stop!
"Just do it"
Mind blowing 🤯
I've unlocked my third eye 👁 and can now do it all.
But yes, I get what you're saying.
I really appreciate your thoughts on this topic because you pretty much inspired me and a couple friends to take up chemistry as a hobby, but we follow your example and keep everything as safe as we can. We pretty much started just like you said- by choosing an experiment, and just doing it. After a few experiments, we had amassed enough chemicals and skills that we really needed some quality glassware and other tools, so we actually bought some of the NileRed branded beakers!
The safety lessons are definitely more effective if you experience them yourself. I’ve burned myself with hot sulfuric acid, 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my arms and got a drop in my eye. I’ve breathed in NO2 when I left open the stopped to a pressure equalized addition funnel (yeah something as simple as that). I’ve spilled concentrated NaOH on my pants and hoodies, so naturally that left some holes. Can’t say it’s a good idea to do any of those things, but you’re definitely more prepared for them after you’ve been through em a few times. You absolutely MUST know what to do in any of those situations beforehand.
Nile you rule !
I really enjoy your style, very descriptive, very professional, attention to detail.
I will never do any chemistry, I really have no patience like you but I enjoy our videos a lot
Please make more !
"this answer will be lame" gives a much better answer then most would such as " go to school", he partially inspired me to get into some small stuff to save money or or do cool stuff ( research weeks before starting, look up safety sheets on every chemical you use)
Thanks nile, you helped me find a love for the art. I've been doing a lot of studying and I've found my first project I want to do. I never thought it would be so much fun
5 years and coming back to say thanks. This video was legit the catalyst for me getting into chem
"so how did you start this meth empire?" - "... nilered"
By watching Breaking Bad
"One day, i opened my glass kink drawer and told to myself, yea, i could do that today, and it never left"
Nike: I will kill you. Meth is bad.
Just got into University of Pennsylvania’s vagelos program with a major in biochemistry! I love chem and do my own projects all of the time, but in my schools AP chemistry classroom, not at home. I can’t imagine doing it without a fume hood and the proper glassware. Just finished with my luminol synthesis following your videos. I hope that I can continue to experiment in the future when I no longer have full access to a lab and the risk of hurting myself and others increases.
It is possible to do it safely without all the proper equipment. It is what i did for a couple years after all. However, I don't recommend it, and there were at least a few close calls.
Start by making soap.
The first real thing I did was a duplication of your making wintergreen from asprin and methanol.
I can't agree more though with how dangerous it is. The real problem I've had is working with gaseous chlorine.
Also, have a head for physics and hydraulics and pneumatics and thermodynamics. Those are the things that will get you into trouble as they're usually not well spelled out in syntheses.
Not many hobbies are like amateur chemistry in where if you are dead wrong about something you might actually end up dead. And/or burn your house down, kill or permanently injure one or more of your family members, etc. You and only you are entirely responsible for what happens if you overlook something or make a mistake. That's asking an awful lot from a young person who's just learning chemistry and it's one of the reasons why people tend not to encourage or discourage the hobby.
Now with that being said, the above does highly depend on what experiments you choose to do. Like someone else mentioned making sodium acetate from baking soda and vinegar is a great experiment for trying at home with very little risk of harm should something go wrong. A reagent like nitric acid on the other hand... my advice is to absolutely stay away from it. A big part of staying safe when experimenting involves being able to accurately predict ALL of the chemistry that may occur during a reaction and being prepared to handle ANY of the products produced. A reagent like nitric acid is so dangerous to use because it has the potential to react in many different ways with many different things all at once and it becomes very easy to overlook something.
Hi ! I'm on with your DIY Soap project, I bought NaOH, oils and all :) I'll put glove and gogles AS YOU SAID and be careful not to splash it or anything. That's a good exemple of (many I guess) people you inspired the good way to discovery Chem-Chem. I've been a chemistry enthousiath for very long I LOVE to learn how our world works. What triggered me to chemistry -may i say- way fluorescein. She was so beautiful I did a bit of research on it, and I found the structure of the molecule was *almost* as beautiful as the visual side of it!
For the little story I made a stinking ball when I was ~15 yo and got expelled for school ^^ Now I profundly understand consequences, and I'm happy it happened this way. Meaning: always be way more careful than necessary instead of the other way round !
Hope you stay with us for long, Nile ;)
PS: i'm french sorry for my approximative/funny writting
I have been starting think about making a small home lab. I'm a former chemistry student and have a couple years of experience in the practical side of things, and I have always enjoyed it when I was working on it. Now however I no longer study chemistry, the itch however is still there.
I feel a lot of people who want to get into it for a hobby might indeed not realise how dangerous chemistry might actually be for their well being if done improperly.
That being said, your channels have been an inspiration for me and have kept that itch going.
Thanks for that.
A question for you though, have you ever had a police visit or anything of the sorts, a lot of amateur chemists seem to be fearful of having their glassware taken or destroyed even when doing fully legal chemistr because of law enforcement mixing them up with less savory home labs.
I'm surprised there aren't more channels on diy chemistry. It seems so natural for TH-cam.
I'm really glad you gave the safety warning. Thanks for that.
Yesterday, I began my hobby chemistry journey with a baking soda and vinegar volcano. Tomorrow, I'll make some black powder in the basement. I'll be distilling mercury by Saturday. All thanks to you!!
J/k I'm not a chemist, just a dad who likes to dabble with safe stuff and watch your videos.
For chemical fires, particularly those that may involve flammable liquids, metals, or reactive substances, the appropriate fire extinguisher types include:
1. **Dry Powder Extinguishers**: These are often used for Class D fires, which involve combustible metals (like sodium, potassium, or magnesium). Dry powder extinguishers work by smothering the fire and preventing access to oxygen.
2. **CO2 Extinguishers**: Carbon dioxide extinguishers are effective for Class B fires involving flammable liquids and electrical fires. They work by displacing oxygen and cooling the fire.
3. **Foam Extinguishers**: Suitable for Class B fires involving flammable liquids, foam extinguishers form a layer on the surface of the liquid, cutting off the fire’s access to oxygen.
**Note:** In a chemistry lab, the specific type of fire extinguisher needed depends on the materials and chemicals being used. Always ensure that the fire extinguisher is suitable for the types of fires most likely to occur in that environment. Additionally, proper training on how to use these extinguishers is crucial for safety.
I feel the same way with carpentry, you can’t just know what to get and all of a sudden you’re a carpenter, you need a tool and you just go buy it, and suddenly your repertoire has been expanded
The difference is, wood won't kill you just for putting the wrong species together. :)
I like that 1:06 safety knowledge is gained through experience..
My first experiment at home was the Blue Bottle one. It's quite fun and doesn't need too much equipment to do.
Really your channel reintroduced me to chemistry. Learning chemistry at school I enjoyed it less and less as time went on. Watching your enthusiasm and the understandable explanations are really engaging. Thanks.
As a student currently currently doing my Bachelor's degree in Chemistry in Spain, I find your videos very interesting and they make me want to try many experiments on your main channel, but infortunately I don't have access to much equipment and chemical products.
If I were to make a list of things to do to start with it would be:
1- Research the reagents and the products in terms of security, disposal, ...etc. And come up with a project that could be possible to do according to your situation.
2- Material to start (I recommend): Beakers, Erlenmeyers, filter funnel (with filter paper), graduated pipette and cylinder (measure volume), scale (measure weight), stirring rod, heat source (better without flame), thermometer, pH paper.
3- Reagents: Strong acid to start sulphuric acid (most stable? HCl is gas dissolved, HNO3 is oxidant), strong base NaOH, weak base sodium bicarbonate (in your kitchen), NaCl, CaCl2 (found in hardware stores, drugstores), distilled water, ethanol 96º, ...etc.
Keep in mind: do experiments in well ventilated area, wear gloves, glasses and coat to protect yourself (I am sure you already knew that :) ). Best of luck to y'all!
PD. the extraction of citric acid from lemons, making soap or extracting DNA are nice starting projects.
The pick an experiment and do it line is the best way to do it👌 Id only add that they research the dangers for each experiment or lack there of and the reasons why its safe or unsafe conditions for said outcomes I think thats why that knowledge is cemented in your head. Btw lots of respect for the knowledge man, keep up the pristine content you deserve every dollar you earn
No chair turn and leaving it weirdly in this video eh?
I did it but there was a loud noise in my goodbye, so i took it out.
@@NileBlue why :c
@@whywhy7634 your name suits your reply-
I agree with everything really well here. I get questions a lot, even about energetic materials. It puts me at an odd point because, I don't want to encourage people to make explosives at all. It is dangerous and pretty illegal in most places. Yet, if they want advice, it seems they are doing it anyway, and often the advice is safety things like, "how do I make xxx safely" and... I feel bad for refusing to help people no hurt themselves... So i feel bad and responsible having answered or not answered the question. Is a tough one
He got a kitchen next to his dinning room which also act as his living room and office. And a workshop next to it. He is a bro at heart
I first started out distilling essential oils and moved on to soxhlet extractions and then purifying and concentrating and vacuum distillations . I do what I feel comfortable doing. yourself, nurdrage and Cody's lab is what started me off so thank you for that.
I've always had the interest to mix things when I was little and it's the reason I wanted to pursue chemistry now and I got more interested because I saw your videos and made me learn more about safety and precautions necessary.
This video gives really good advice. I used to do a lot of chemical experiments when I was young, and it hapened exactly as described in this video, a natural development from an interest to do experiments I found described in books (this was long before the Internet). But, yes, I also got a chemistry experimentation box or whatever it is called in English, with perhaps 10-15 chemicals, some glassware etc. and a booklet with experiments described (this option is not mentioned in the video, but I think it is a good idea). But the best experiments I made was from a book that I found at the library, it was called "Kemi som hobby" in Swedish ("Chemistry as a hobby" in English). I later on, as the years passed by, lost that book, but just recently I found it on a second-hand online book shop, so I bought it and have it here on my desk now. There is always a tendency that some experiments you would like to do are dangerous, so one has to find the balance to know how far you will go. Another thing to remember is that some experiments are really difficult to succeed with. Quite a few of NileRed's experiments are rather advanced and difficult to perform. So, at least in the beginning, don't try the advanced stuff, you will only be disappointed. You can do more advanced things later on when your skill and experience have developed.
I think this was helpful.
I'm speaking for myself, but one of the things I would like to know is how to obtain the level of knowledge that you have about performing chemical reactions, and I think that your answer is fair.
There's nothing to it but to do it.
The best thing to start with: the rapid crystallization of sodium acetate
Fan from Burlington Ontario! I am very impressed with your skill at both chemistries, preparations, and video production! Please keep up the GREAT work SIR!
A great addition to this channel would be basic chemical procedures such as titrations.
I started about 2 years ago. I was inspired by a King of Random Sugar Rocket video. As I first got into Chemistry I started by raiding my local grocery store along with a list of common chemicals, I then went to the dollar store for glassware.I started by trying to purify what I bought and make what I could with I had. A few months later I went to the hardware store for my first bottle of Hydrochloric Acid and worked with it in small doses. After a month I got my first Flask and Graduated Cylinders slowly but surely got more and more equipment and labware. After a year I acquired a pretty impressive hobbiest lab. If you are working with dangerous chemicals I recommend working with them in smallest amounts needed for what you are doing. I have filled my lab with smoke, Nitrogen Dioxide, Chlorine Gas. Luckily my lab is in my Recording Studio which is on commercial property and a fire escape door is in the lab room for ventilation. Also I mistake I made was not messing something up but something working really well and being stunned/clueless on what to do with it. This happened on my 4th Nitric Acid production attempt. Was thinking the concentration would not be too crazy. Wound up making red fuming nitric acid and was terrified of it. I left it in a beaker with rubber for about 6 months and forgot about it. Wound up almost eating thru stopper completely. Finally had the balls to deal with it a week later.
0:36 this is not a lame answer, this is a great answer 👍
I want to learn chemistry because i think i can do it, but I don't have the skills yet (neither the money to pay for a college and get a degree) but your videos are always an inspiration for me to learn little things first and then try myself with a couple simple projects, so thanks for doing what you're doing! :)
Radio Shack used to have electronics kits and Sears and JC Penney had chemistry kits when I was a kid. They had instructions and most of the experiments were pretty safe.
Glad the channels coming back. But hey, I've made a few ghetto fume hoods in my day (kitchen hoods, water and carbon scrubber exhaust and a window), you should do one an good household appliances/items to sore chems or venting and such. I've seen a lot of newbies do some stuff storing chems or knowing when and where to distill. Or the people dabbing in garages while carrying out butane extracts lmfao for the cynical comedy side of clandestine chemistry.
Start with something fairly safe and simple. Best advice.
Also if you are an absolute beginner start with some of these experiments:
Make sodium acetate from vinegar and baking soda. You can use a beaker or Erlenmeyer flask and you'll see how quickly things foam up. The sodium acetate can be used to make your own hot ice. Relatively safe. Once you have it and you become much more advanced and safe you can use the anhydrous form to make glacial acetic acid.
Simple double displacement reactions. Road salts usually contain a mixture of chloride salts. Try making the carbonate forms and purifying each one separately. It'll be difficult and challenging. If you can separate the calcium carbonate, you can use that to jellyfy a *small* amount of rubbing alcohol and do a small burn test of your "napalm"
Make oxygen with MnO2 and hydrogen peroxide. Mn compounds are toxic but nothing crazy. It'll teach you how to begin dealing with waste responsibly. The gas generation will also let you see how some reactions can just get too violent.
Do some pH stuff. Try some titrations using a pipette, vinegar as your acid, and a base like sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is very caustic but if you treat it right and learn about it's properties you can do this safely with PPE.
You can do some fun copper salt chemistry too. While I say not to touch ammonia, you can use copper sulfate (you can find this in hardware stores) and a large excess of ammonia to make a complex called copper sulfate tetraamine. It has a beautiful color and the reagents are somewhat hazardous but you'd have a hard time killing yourself with them or creating some horrible accidents.
Wear goggles, gloves, and some sort of jacket or coat so that you don't have to drape the chemicals over your face while taking off a shirt.
Don't touch the following household chemicals until you know better (you won't for a long while):
Ammonia
Concentrated drain cleaners
Bleach of any sorts
Stump removers
Heavy metals like lead and mercury
Thanks! Really, coming from you this is one of the few times in my life I listened and believed in a safety talk.
One becomes numb and cynical about this stuff with the force-feeding of impractical nonsense corporate safety material, just for liability.
Some of it can be questionable, but there are definitely some things that need to be taken seriously. Maybe I'll make video on lab safety
Just picking a project and trying it out is the best advice.
Chemistry safety, as you said, is extremely important needs 100% attention. I made a batch of flash powder and mixed the powder incorrectly introducing a high amount of friction causing the entire batch to go off in my face. I had a high risk of losing my eye sight but ended up with only scratches and scarring on my cornea (still not good) but my vision has made a nose full recovery to 20/20 opposed to when I went to the ER and couldn't even read the top level of the eye chart. You gotta be careful with chemicals. Things could've went a lot worse for me but luckily they didnt and since that incident I've had PTSD of that night that plays through my head. Not a fun time.
In the University Chem Labs in the Science Building we had fume hoods with scrubbers, fire proof benches, stools and walls, fire extinguishers, fire walls and more fire escape routes than any other rooms in the building. We wore safety goggles, fire resistant lab coats and non reactive safety gloves. There were still some lab accidents. This is not something for sheds in the yard or home basements.
Agreed! You don't buy every tool and thing you need at once, you buy a few tools for one project and then after the umpteenth project you'll have collected multiple tools and equipment over the span of those projects. You don't just go out and buy everything you *might* need at once, it builds up over time.
Some chemicals and chemistry experiments are dangerous, but the most dangerous thing in a chemistry lab is the chemist himself. If you know what you're doing, if have plenty of experience, if you put in place every possible safety measure and you always respect the stuff you're working with, the vast majority of chemicals can be controlled even within amateur set-ups.
I AM ENRAGED!!! I have been asking for a chem set for months now, my birthday is coming up so I thought I could seize the opportunity and get one. I watched this video in front of my mother and my dreams have been crushed, YES I agree chemistry is a very dangerous hobby...BUT NOT TO SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN STUDYING THOROUGHLY FOR MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!
I am genuinely concerned for the safety of people I found your channel a couple weeks back and have loved it and your safety precautions are on point when I was 12 I had neglected safety and blown myself up burnt myself and flash blinded myself now I realise how stupid I was and began using safety gear
How about making this your ultimate goal for this channel? Experiments that can be done with minimal tools and glassware, can be run with chemicals that aren't too terribly restricted, etc. Then maybe some primers on how to properly measure/weigh chemicals. Processes that you can use to test if the experiment was a success. Over time, do exactly what you said in this video: add another type of glassware, heater, distillation column, etc. so that maybe fans can keep up and follow along. Maybe set a budget of 100 or 200 dollars per month and only add as much as can be afforded. You can also put the items in your store and put them on sale. You already support the community so much, this seems like a clear way of offering your help in that area you're a little unsure about.
As a Hazardous Materials Technician, I have come across so much stuff I was uncomfortable with. I have trust in the Chemist that I was there to support. During the late 90’s and early 2000’s my primary job was shutting down active clandestine methamphetamine labs, classifying the chemicals and packaging up for transport and disposal. If I was to provide any advice as a ex-borderline amateur into basic chemistry. I would suggest purchasing safety equipment and apparel. 2nd advice is study and read as much verified and trusted sources of information then double check it against another source before proceeding. I don’t know how I’m still around because of my ignorance and extreme stupidity during my youth. My hobby is now as another person mentioned, watching You (Nile) perform and demonstrate. Thank You.
I was so happy to find your videos. I have a bachelors degree in chemistry, and I LOVED school so much, but I haven’t been able to find a job since I graduated and I don’t know what I want to specialize in enough to apply for grad school. This sounds really cheesy, but for real, watching your videos makes me feel like I can still find a part of me that I’m missing while I try to get my life together, working a normal retail job that doesn’t really stimulate my brain too much, lol. Hopefully I can find a start to my career soon, but in the meantime I keep finding myself designing experiments in pretty much any aspect of life- i have a lab notebook just for that silly stuff. But I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to get back into the chemistry mindset that I love so much.
If you loved school that means your teachers were doing something right as i am sure most people would say that they hated school and they only went for free food and social interaction as teachers usually never were fun or great at catching a kids interests when teaching at least here in the US. Hell as a kid i despised math as it felt like they shoved it down our throats in every fucking class even art class to the point my math scores actually got lower as apparently my brain was filtering that out especially in art class where i literally seen no practical applications and that's what a lot of artists do they don't know much or care about math hell they don't constantly use it as if we are talking about people that draw they have done so for a long ass time to the point they actually got good at it without the math because it is mostly harmless trial and error.
I have always been a hands on person so theories and that bull shit always gets thrown out the window as my slow ass learning self never understood them but the practical applications i aced which does actually help learn some maths as again practicality tied within the lesson is important like "How much to tip your waiter based on their service" type of lessons you know practical shit to get kids ready for real life and i think that was 5th grade i don't remember.
Anyways there are a lot of science related jobs you can do such as a service for extracting gold and other metals from circuit boards even if it is not a lot in the boards. But if you know some chemistry and how to safely extract the metals because melting the boards down releases toxic fumes so a good gas mask while outside or fume hood is needed but point is you can make a good bit of money especially if you show videos on you doing it, and you can say
"If the order is just extracting one thing without specifying all the metals that you want from the board(s) i have the right to keep the rest of the metals and only give you what you requested"
You know do so many boards and you can melt the rest of the spare metals together into individual ingots and sell those which over time will net you more money than just whatever price you charge to extract the metals in the first place. And obviously probably don't extract Uranium as the governments don't like people posting that stuff just look at what happened with Codyslab and took what they thought were contaminated but they did leave the Uranium as it depends on where one lives but you are allowed to own some and it is not dangerous as long as it don't get inside you
Also if scrapping stuff is more so your thing Copper is king as it is abundant as it is in just about every electronics and huge amounts in power supplies as it is conductive and usually goes for $3.50 USD per pound. The amount of copper you can extract from just about anything mostly brass is insane or magnesium brass coating, but just don't go melting down coins for their copper content as that would be illegal if you plan to sell them for the copper value otherwise you can melt them down so melting them down into ingots or bars for the customers are totally fine at least here in the us as long as they don't tell you that they plan on selling them as then you get into a grey area since you are not melting them and extracting the copper on the intent to sell them you are just providing them a service on melting stuff down and giving it back. But you really gotta look into the laws on where that person live and where you live as here in the majority of the US it is not illegal to melt, destroy, make, or modify US coins unless the objective is fraudulent or the intent on selling the raw material for profit. So melting down coins is a grey area as they the person interested in the service pay upfront send the materials to you and you extract it and send it back, but contact your lawyer before you do that as a thing you don't want to do is interpret the law wrong as the US code of regulations do say
"(b) The prohibition contained in § 82.1 against the treatment of 5-cent coins and one-cent coins shall not apply to the treatment of these coins for educational, amusement, novelty, jewelry, and similar purposes as long as the volumes treated and the nature of the treatment makes it clear that such treatment is not intended as a means by which to profit solely from the value of the metal content of the coins."
I am not sure if that law is outdated you will have to look up the current one and i am assuming you are from the states and if not then you have to look up your laws
@@JohnnyYeTaecanUktena A good science teacher can make school really fun. Two of my favorite professors were science teachers and regularly ran cool experiments from the classroom. Ironically, my chemistry teacher was boring as hell but I had some awesome Biology professors that really made learning seemingly boring stuff quite interesting.
If you are new to chemistry, start with the basics. Get your an introductory chemistry set that will show you to basic chemicals and interactions. Book reading is great. Your public library will usually have books about chemistry. Even if they seem like older books, the principles of chemistry haven't changed for a very long time. If you can find the videos of Mr. Wizard, Don Herbert taught an introduction to chemistry in a very entertaining way. He introduced many people to chemistry. There are safe reactions you can do with home chemicals. But, they can also be dangerous. Do not experiment unless you understand whats going to happen. Follow a guide.
I'm really glad you made this video. While interesting, chemistry is also an extremely dangerous intellectual pursuit and people should educate themselves in the potential risks.
You're not like other TH-camrs, you keep it real. I have knowledge in Applied Chemistry from college and even I barely have confidence when conducting experiments without assistance. It's just the reality, chemistry isn't coding, it's legitimately dangerous. Doesn't mean you can't appreciate it theoretically and stick to basic experiments though.
Valid AF. I started doing chemistry in my garage when I was 16. In the span of a couple months i inhaled straight Hydrogen Chloride gas (drank 3L of water, took some Calcium Carbonate, and layed in bed for 2 days. Everything hurt, and I coughed a little blood lmao). I also got dilute H2SO4 on my hands. Had to wash and neutralize. Only had a rash for a couple days. And I had many many more accidents. I am finally not a moron tho so I use proper PPE. Just finished my first succesful O-chem lab yesterday. Made TCM and used it to make chloretone :)
thanks for everything you've taught me bro!! Stay safe y'all
I was waiting for you to say exactly that, "just do it." This goes for anything in life. So long as you really hold yourself accountable, you'll accomplish anything. Oh, and safety is tantamount. Again, in all things we do- we only have one life, and it's not worth losing over a chemistry, or anything for that matter.
Just wanna say, I think you’re extremely handsome nile. I’ve learned so much from you and I even showed my teacher so now we watch your videos in class. I love watching your videos and your voice is so soothing. You and Cody’s lab should collab sometime!! Keep up the good work!! @NileBlue
Thanks!
I agree chemistry is pretty dangerous. I started as a stupid kid and managed to never get hurt but could've very well gotten hurt. When I got some strong acids I always wore safety goggles a lab coat and other PPE. I wasn't very safe but safe enough to get lucky.
It's been a couple years and I have since advanced into a much safer amateur chemist. I am performing legit synthesis, taking all of the necessary precautions, ALWAYS staying by the reaction (almost all of the close calls I had were when I left something alone DON'T EVER DO THAT (I don't care if it's outside, I don't care if it's outside, I don't care that nothing should happen, STAY BY YOUR REACTIONS PEOPLE AND HAVE EVERYTHING PLANNED OUT AHEAD), having proper PPE for the job, storing chemicals the right way (I used to store my sodium hydroxide right next to the calcium carbide, and all of my acids. I also found some MnO2 near the HCl. That was a disaster waiting to happen. I got very very lucky that I never had a serious incident. I am now more careful than most chemists in a real lab. I have to be. I get to know the chemicals weeks before I get them and familiarize myself with all of the reactions. Possible side products, hazards, chemical hazards, etc. There is always a risk no matter how prepared you are but you can minimize it as much as possible. The goal is to get to a negligible risk to no risk. And even if you get there, prepare for the worst. The glass cracks and spills your hot nitric acid into an olive oil bath, the reaction foams over and you are releasing corrosive and toxic gases. Something as simple as a small spill can catch you off guard if you're not prepared for it. Plan (I can't stress planning, do dry runs with water and salt as your chemicals), prepare (bring ALL of the PPE you would possibly need and make sure you wear the right stuff and have the right stuff on hand), and execute the plan (don't try to diverge from the plan unless you have to. Being able to think things out beforehand with a calm mind and lots of time is priceless. Have people double check your work and don't get upset/take it personally if they tell you to not do that. There is a reason and listen.
Just be safe and start safe. The more experience you get the better of a chemist you will become. Be responsible and plan ahead for the reaction, side reactions, possible emergencies, PPE, waste (don't forget waste, I know I often did), and work outside with a fan! Just working outside doesn't cut it for lots of stuff. I used to work outside all the time and even then a whiff of acid fumes can catch you off guard. Wear a respirator with proper filters and get a fan. In my experience, gases and fumes have been my worst enemy. I hate them and they scare me. I use a good non sparking fan to blow away and disperse vapors right away. I still have a respirator for certain things. Look up odor threshold, IDLH, and exposure limits. The ppm are hard to tell what is safe and what isn't but look at things you know are relatively non toxic like acetone, and compare the values to something like HCl. HCl is a lot more dangerous than acetone and the MSDS data will tell you that since the exposure numbers are a lot smaller.
I wish there was a site that gave out such information very easily and accessibly. I want to make something like that but probably lack the time or effort. Sciencemadness is a good place to start but don't follow what a lot of people do there. They tend to take safety less seriously than people in r/chemistry.
Have fun but stay safe!
Also get a fire extinguisher. Just do it. Lots of flammable solvents exist and lots of things can catch fire. Get an ABC extinguisher. I have one that costed me $20. It's not the best since it's small but it's absolutely better than nothing. Make sure whatever is possibly flammable can be put out with your extinguisher too. Don't use water unless you know it is okay to use. A mineral oil bath fire can have water put onto it but an olive oil bath cannot. Avoid using olive oil anyway. Just buy baby oil.