Common chemicals
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Associate Editor-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]
Table of Common Chemical Ingredients and Where to Find Them
| Chemical Name | Chemical Formula | Common Name | Where to Buy | Specific Brand or Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acetic acid | ||||
| CH3COOH + H2O | 5% Solution: White Vinegar | Grocery Store | Any brand of white vinegar | |
| Notes: Do not consume | ||||
| Ammonium hydroxide | ||||
| NH3 + H2O | 10% Solution: Household Ammonia 27% Solution: Strong Ammonia |
Grocery Store (for Household Ammonia) Drug Store (for Strong Ammonia) |
None | |
| Notes: Combine Household Ammonia and Strong Ammonia with Water. | ||||
| Boric acid | ||||
| H3BO3 | Boric Acid | Drug Store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Calcium Carbonate | ||||
| CaCO3 | Chunks: Marble, Limestone Powder: Precipitated Chalk |
Builder's Supplies (for Chunk) Drug Store (for Powder) |
None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Calcium Chloride | ||||
| CaCl2 | "Laundry Aid" or "Laundry Salt" Road Salt |
Grocery Store Hardware Store |
None | |
| Notes: Many chemicals are used to melt snow. Make certain that if you purchase Road Salt it is pure Calcium Chloride. | ||||
| Calcium hydroxide | ||||
| Ca(OH)2 | Slaked lime, Garden lime | Hardware Store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Calcium oxide | ||||
| CaO | Quicklime | Builder's Supplies | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Calcium sulfate | ||||
| (CaSO4) * H2O CaSO4 * 2H2O |
Plaster of Paris or Gypsum |
Hardware Store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Caustic Soda | ||||
| NaOH or KOH | Detergent | Grocery Store Pool Cleaning Supplies |
None | |
| Notes: Caustic Soda is not a mixture. Make certain what you are using is 94-99% pure. Caustic Soda is a central to the manufacture of soap. Be extremely careful when mixing with acids. | ||||
| Glucose | ||||
| C6H12O6 + H2O | Corn Syrup | Grocery Store | None | |
| Notes: For use in most formulas, the corn syrup should be dilluted with water, but the solution varies. | ||||
| Hydrochloric acid | ||||
| HCl + H2O | 25% Solution: Muriatic Acid | Hardware Store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Magnesium sulfate | ||||
| MgSO4 *7H2O | Epsom Salt | Drug Store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Manganese dioxide | ||||
| MnO2 | Pyrolusite | Hardware Stores | None | |
| Notes: Pyrolusite can be extracted from certain types of batteries, called dry cells, but its use is becoming rare. | ||||
| Naphthalene | ||||
| C10H8 | Moth balls | Hardware Store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Oxalic acid | ||||
| H2C2O4 + 2H2O | Non-chlorine bleach powder cleanser | Grocery, Hardware, and Large Discount Stores | Bar Keeper's Friend | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Potassium nitrate | ||||
| KNO3 | Saltpeter | Hardware Store, Garden Center, Grocery Store | None | |
| Notes: Potassium nitrate is used as stump remover, fertilizer, and meat preservative. | ||||
| Sodium Bicarbonate | ||||
| NaHCO3 | Baking Soda | Grocery Store | Arm & Hammer | |
| Notes: Be careful to use only single action baking soda when sodium bicarbonate is required. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, but baking powder has other ingredients, such as potassium tartrate and sodium monophosphate. Double Action Baking Powder contains single action baking powder, a 'high temperature acid' which is a gas formed at room temperature when moistened, and corn starch, which is added as a drying agent to prevent accidental activation. | ||||
| Sodium chloride | ||||
| NaCl | Salt, Table Salt | Grocery Store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Sodium hydroxide | ||||
| NaOH | Caustic Soda, Lye | Grocery Store | Drano, crystalline granular drain cleaner | |
| Notes: Keep out of eyes, can cause blindness. | ||||
| Sodium potassium tartrate | ||||
| NaKC4H4O6 * 4H2O | Rochelle Salt | Drug Store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Sodium tetraborate | ||||
| Na2B4O7 * 10H2O | Borax | Drug Stores, Laundry Aisle | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Sucrose | ||||
| C12H22O11 | Cane Sugar | Grocery Store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Zinc chloride | ||||
| ZnCl2 + H2O | Tinner's Fluid | Hardware Store | None | |
| Notes: Also called "Killed acid," Zinc Chloride can be created by dissolving a small amount of zinc in Hydrochloric acid. Used for cleaning copper. | ||||
References
The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments