Chemical Reactions: Pharaoh's Serpent

Since we're in the middle of Science Week from 20 to 26th September 2021, I thought I'd write about this crazy, even creepy, chemical reaction that can happen.

Chemical reactions can happen in many ways. You can mix compounds together to create a new compound, one compound can break down into two or more compounds or you can apply heat to a compound and see what happens.

One such chemical reaction is nicknamed the Pharaoh's Serpent. In this reaction, the chemical involved is mercury thiocyanate, a white powder that when heated, turns into a large coiled solid mass that resembles a serpent. You can see what the molecule looks like on the It'sss Your Birthday Card.

You might be able to see an actual demo of the Pharaoh's Serpent reaction here.

Wasn't that quite a crazy reaction? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below.

Leave a comment

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Comments will be approved before showing up.