In this video we'll prepare nitrous oxide gas via the oxidation of a .

hydroxylamine salt. First of all measure out 25 grams of sodium nitrite. Note .

that's nitrite not nitrate. Now measure out 40 mils of warm water. Add to the .

sodium nitrite and then stir to form a solution. The warm water helps because as .

the crystals dissolve they cause the solution to cool down.

Top the solution up with water so it's around 80 mils in total. Now measure out .

25 grams of hydroxylaminium chloride otherwise known as hydroxylamine .

hydrochloride. Again add around 40 to 50 mils of water and stir to dissolve. As .

before the solution will cool down as the salt dissolves.

You can actually see condensation on the glass here. Now set up a fairly large .

flask of 500 mils of above capacity equipped with a magnetic stir bar and a .

ground glass joint. Add the sodium nitrite solution to the flask. Now set up .

the apparatus with an addition funnel and a way to vent off the gas produced .

into a tube.

If the addition funnel is a pressure equalized one then you'll need a tight .

fitting stopper for it. Place the solution of hydroxylamine hydrochloride .

into the addition funnel. Make sure the stopper is closed. To collect the gas .

we'll use the one liter beaker filled with water and suspended upside down in .

a large bowl of water.

We've used a magnetic stir bar to prop up one side of the beaker to allow a tube .

to pass .

through. Now set up the tube leading from the apparatus and ending directly under the .

beaker of water. Because the first portion of gas given off will be air displaced out .

of the apparatus. We'll start by leaving the tube outside the beaker however. So let's .

start the reaction. Switch stirring on to moderate speed and slowly allow a small amount .

of the solution into the flask.

You'll see bubbles appearing and the solution will start to heat up .

considerably. As the temperature increases, addition of the hydroxylamine .

solution results in almost immediate evolution of gas. After a couple of .

minutes most of the air should be displaced out of the apparatus and you're .

ready to begin collecting. Be careful not to add the solution too quickly because .

the reaction can become very vigorous if you're not careful and discreet.

could cause a pressure buildup.

Gas collection can be pretty fast as you can see.

You'll need to hold or support the beaker in order to stop it tipping over once the .

level of the liquid inside drops.

Once you stop adding the solution, it only takes a minute before the reaction dies down .

and little more gas is generated.

Nitrous oxide is denser than air, and once we collected a full beaker we used a small .

plate to cover it.

Let's see how a burning strip of paper reacts with the gas.

Not as vigorously as oxygen, but you can clearly see that the nitrous oxide is an oxidizing .

agent and supports combustion pretty well.

.

Let's do a final experiment.

Here's some finely divided sodium nitrite and hydroxylamine hydrochloride.

Let's mix them together dry.

The reaction isn't as vigorous as a sodium nitrite with an ammonium salt.

It gives off a lot of heat and some nitrogen oxides in the smoke.

A good example of why mixing nitrite salts with anything containing an amine NH2 group .

can be dangerous unless under controlled conditions.

The residue consists of sodium chloride.

Thanks for watching and stay tuned.

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