2012-08-19
[public] 67.5K views, 649 likes, 19.0 dislikes audio only
Gold in Aqua Regia - part of our "Berzelius Day" uploading 24 videos in 24 hours. Full video containing this reaction at: /youtube/video/iwnKU89CCdI
NOTE FROM THE PROFESSOR: Aqua Regia is a really complicated mixture. The key point is that together HCl and HNO3 are more effective oxidizing agents than they are individually because they react together to form a variety of ions. These can then react with the gold, enabling it to lose electrons to form bonds with chlorine. The result is a solution a mixture of ions with different ratios of Au to Cl atoms. I still find the dissolving of gold a magical reaction to watch.
See our 24 reactions playlist as it unfolds at: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6E4F35510525FFF7
Berzelius Day explained: /youtube/video/wDXUDq2KLM4
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From the School of Chemistry at The University of Nottingham: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/chemistry/index.aspx
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