| Intro: I've been really interested in bismuth since the beginning of this semester in Chemistry, so I decided to jump right into making bismuth jewelry the first day of this section. What happens: Bismuth is an element on the periodic table, and it also has one of the highest atomic masses. When you're making bismuth crystals, you have to melt it down on a hotplate/hot surface. When you melt bismuth down, it turns into molten metal. When it is melted down enough, and then cooled, the crystals start to form. While pouring the bismuth into another container, the oxygen that makes contact with the bismuth will determine the color. I read that pink is the hardest color to make your crystals. Background: Bismuth oxychloride is used in a lot of everyday items. It is used in things like pepto bismol, and makeup. In makeup, it is used for the pigment. It creates an iridescent color, and some pearly colors. Bismuth subsalicylate is the active ingredient in Pepto bismol and is known as "pink bismuth". My experiment/What happened? I was so anxious with my bismuth crystals because Andrew said that the slightest movement would change the way the bismuth was growing so I was trying to get people to be very careful around the table. In the end, my crystals came out really great. I did make my two pieces into necklaces, but my big piece of bismuth shattered into 3 or 4 more pieces, so I have to redo them. Overall, I think I really learned something about metal. It was really interesting to watch something melted down, and in the end create beautiful crystals without me doing too much to them. When I was making my necklaces, I learned how to make one of those slip knots so that if you wanted to adjust your necklace, you could. What has happened/Lab practice: My crystals seemed to have had enough contact with oxygen to make it turn blue. When I was pouring it into the final cup, we poured it at the right speed and amount of time the outside touches the crystals to make it turn color. Sadly, I didn't get pink, but it still turned out to be a really pretty color. I was really excited to see something that I made turn out the way it did. My mom and I really like the necklaces and she wears one of them almost everyday. What next? I would look up how to make pink bismuth, and try to make it. It might be hard, but that's what I would do if I did it again. I would also leave more time so I wouldn't feel rushed. I would try to get more supportive string for my big piece of bismuth. My big bismuth necklace fell and shattered on the ground, so I would definitely be more smart about it next time. Take aways: I now know the science behind bismuth. I never knew that bismuth was in makeup to make different shades of eyeshadow, or that it is an ingredient in pepto bismol. I know that you have to have a certain amount of oxygen and a specific melting heat in order to turn out the way you want it to. I would definitely do this again or help someone do it. |