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-   -   Mothballs and vinegar (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=114921)

  • Jul 30, 2007, 02:12 PM
    sciencedummy
    Mothballs and vinegar
    I tried a science experiment and nothing happened. What was wrong?
    I filled the glass with water until full.
    Add baking soda to the water and stir until dissolved
    Add the vinegar and mothballs to the water solution. It will bubble. Now the experiment should have caused the mothballs to sink to the bottom and then come up. It should repeat over and over. It did nothing. Why did nothing happen when it should?
  • Jul 30, 2007, 11:30 PM
    Capuchin
    Did it not bubble? What exactly went wrong?

    You can see the same effect that I think you are trying to recreate by putting raisins in lemonade. The raisins sink as they are more dense than the lemonade, but the bubbles get stuck in the wrinkles in the raisin and eventually lift it to the top. When it gets to the surface, the bubbles pop and so it sinks again.
  • Jul 30, 2007, 11:45 PM
    mikezapwnzor
    Hold on... aren't you supposed to add the baking soda to the vinegar?
  • Jul 31, 2007, 06:38 PM
    sciencedummy
    The instructions said to add the baking soda before the vinegar and mothballs. Either way nothing happened.
  • Jun 25, 2010, 09:14 PM
    joelmcelrath
    Current moth balls are too heavy. Old time moth balls will work if you can find some naptha mothballs

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