On Fri, Aug 22, 2014 at 5:47 PM, <mix...@bigpond.com> wrote: > In reply to H Veeder's message of Fri, 22 Aug 2014 02:32:18 -0400: > Hi, > [snip] > >The novel part happens when the drop of metal turns black and then > >transparent and then "explodes". > >Harry > > > > > >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIGMfai_ICg > > > >Invisible Metal (better than transparent Aluminium!) > > I don't think it is transparent metal. IMO, what you see at the end is a > droplet > of molten alkali-hydroxide momentarily suspended on a layer of Hydrogen and > steam. Molten hydroxide should indeed be transparent. Note that it doesn't > become transparent until the dark blue disappears, which happens when > there are > no more solvated electrons, and that doesn't happen until the last of the > metal > is gone. Furthermore, while metal exists, heat is being generated to > maintain > the steam layer, once it's gone, the steam layer vanishes and the droplet > makes > contact with the water. Alkali-hydroxides dissolve in water quite nicely, > particularly when hot, which is what causes the "explosion" at the end. > > Regards, > > Robin van Spaandonk > > http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html > > The narrator of the video says if the drop is alkali-hydroxide it should sink because according to him alkali-hydroxide is denser than water. Are you arguing that the drop is indeed alkali-hydroxide but it is kept afloat by riding a cushion steam like a hovercraft rides a cushion of air?
Harry
