Australia's Science Forum

Anyone still do this experiment...heating Lead Oxide with Carbon/charcoal to reduce the lead?

In appendix D suggests not to not to heat on a carbon block. I am assuming cause its not nice to get hot lead in ones eyes, and fumes etc.

Also says that its a senior only prac, and limits volumes, use PPE etc.

But wondering if anyone actually finds doing this prac beforehand(so the students can see the lead in the tube) useful?
I am tempted to ditch it.

This experiment was banned in NSW when CSIS came in.
If the teacher is still keen perhaps a demonstration by him inthe fumehood!!!!!!
I have bee a labbie in schools in Sydney for 20 years and the schools where I worked stopped this experiment 18 years ago.

No, no, don't do it!!

I left Canberra more than 5 years ago, and we weren't allowed to do it then.

It's way more to do with lead fumes being toxic, (see the news about Mt Isa kids) than worrying about hot lead, although that is a concern. I'm sure I was told it's actually banned, as is Red Lead, as far as I know. Apparently a high school in the northern half of Canberra had a safety inspection, and the inspector went apopleptic when he saw all the jars of Red Lead in the ChemStore, then went through the whole school. (shudder)

My answer would be No, no and Hell, no.

Cheers, K

ha Ha interesting responses!
Yes, it was only to be done by non students ie teacher, in fume hood, in minute quantity, so that they can show them afterward... once its cooled and stopped fuming etc....what it looks like in situ.

Would never dream of giving to students to do!

But from your responses, it seems that its simply not worth the bother. Great news.
I will hand out a lump of lead to look at instead. Done!

According to CSIS red lead isn't banned, but listed for use with years 11, and 12. It goes on to say, DO NOT HEAT ON A CHARCOAL BLOCK
I guess that is pretty clear, so I will now dispose of all the blowpipes. That is all they were ever used for. Another lot of useless equipment.

We have throw out all our blow pipers, because of Red Lead, you are correct, it is not banned, only to be used by Years 11 & 12. I cost us quite a bit to have the red lead and sand jars all picked up.

It is a reduction of oxide to a metal.
I used to work at Southern Copper in Port Kembla, so guess what I started using? CuO. It is a black oxide and when reduced with carbon, gives a red copper metal. Great to do, because it is so easy to see. We use long matches, burn the top and reheat over bunser burner.
Give it a try.
Lada

Thanks lada,
yes we go on to do the Cu O next, which does quite nicely.
The lead one was to be a sort of intro... but I will find a video, and a lump of lead. That will do for intro.

Ah! I remember back in the "Good Old Days" (as a year 8 student, back in the 70's!) using Mercuric Oxide with the blow pipe. After reducing the MgO to Mg, we would salvage the little ball of Mg and carry it around all day in our bare HANDS! The other subject teachers never understood why we were all so quiet as we pushed little (and not so little) balls of Mercury around the school desk all lesson with our fingers.

We were still allowed to use PbO in the early 80's.

Perhaps that might explain a few things. Some say that you have to be quite mad to be a "Labbie"!

Avagoodweegend

Ian

Hey Rainbow
Was just reminising about the Pb O prac last week at the chemwatch In-service
Relating story about a certain teacher who forgot to immerse carbon blocks in water later that night they spontanously combusted from that day on known as "torch"
Graeme

Yes Ocker
good old torch!