This makes it look like you're dissolving a massive quantity of material into a small volume of liquid. Dissolving Styrofoam or another polystyrene product in acetone is a spectacular demonstration of the solubility of this plastic in an organic solvent. Take styrofoam beads, packing peanuts, chunks of styrofoam, or even a styrofoam cup and add it to the container of acetone. Acetone dissolves the Styrofoam cup. In other words, the polystyrene dissolves in the acetone. Then … Styrofoam is mostly air so when a small amount of plastic dissolves, the … Acetone is a chemical that dissolves Styrofoam. Simply so, why does acetone dissolve Styrofoam? Materials for demo 039 1. Science Fair Project Ideas for Kids, Middle & High School Students, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Polymers, Polymer Properties Database: Polystyrenes. : Hi guys! The Styrofoam does not completely disappear, even though it looks like it has. I mean, if you take gasoline and put in a styrofoam cup it will do the same thing, but you don't recommend taking gasoline internally, at least I hope you don't LOL. The … Styrofoam dissolves in acetone in a similar way to how sugar dissolves in water. The air in the foam leaves, and because Styrofoam consists mainly of air, when it dissolves in acetone it completely loses its structure. Even good solvents can take a while to dissolve a polymer. Once the styrofoam is fully dissolved it is stretchy and fun to play with. Since Styrofoam is … If I increase the volume of acetone, then the Styrofoam will dissolve faster because there will be more liquid. It is a physical rather than a chemical reaction. Some types of spray paint, as well as gasoline, will also dissolve Styrofoam. Measure the time it takes for the Styrofoam to dissolve 5. A colorless, flammable solvent, it mixes easily with water and evaporates quickly in air. Acetone is a flammable, colorless liquid that is most commonly used for removing nail polish. All you need to do is to pour a bit of acetone into a bowl, and place Styrofoam beads, packing peanuts, chunks of foam, or even a Styrofoam cup in the container. The chemical system we're considering is the polystyrene in your styrofoam. will dissolve Styrofoam with enough time. The reaction between Styrofoam and acetone shows how soluble this plastic is in an organic solvent and how much air is in Styrofoam. Styrofoam is made of polystyrene foam. This is because the intermolecular interactions between the acetone and the polystyrene makes it more thermodynamically stable for the two to exist as a solution rather than two separate distinct entities. Styrofoam vs Acetone! When the polystyrene dissolves in the acetone, the air in the foam is released, causing it to look like you're dissolving this massive quantity of material into a small volume of liquid. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Have you ever seen a foam cup appear to melt away in acetone? Add some styrofoam to acetone in a closed container. In this week’s video, we team up with chemistry professor Matt Hartings, Ph.D., to explain this weird phenomenon. You need: -Acetone -Styrofoam -A metal or glass container Safety advisory: Acetone fumes are flammable. This dissolving and … After a while. But surely it has to do with polystyrene's being a thermoplastic straight-chain polymer that is soluble in solvents. Styrofoam dissolves in acetone in a similar way to how sugar dissolves in water. Acetone will not make Styrofoam hard. As the air escapes the volume of the styrofoam decreases. Basically, it looks like a huge amount of material is dissolving in a small amount of liquid. The air contained in the plastic foam leaves it, … CP to ELI5. So, the correct question is: Why does acetone dissolve styrofoam? 0 0. To carry out an experiment with Styrofoam and acetone, all you need is a large bowl or measuring glass. Styrofoam is actually a trade name, used generically to describe polystyrene foam, a polymer made of a long chain of molecules. So my question is why does acetone dissolve styrofoam when they appear to be a mix of polar/non-polar? The styrofoam will dissolve in the acetone much like sugar dissolves in hot water. Acetone is an organic compound with the formula (CH3)2CO. It is a physical rather than a chemical reaction. Putting Styrofoam in acetone will dissolve how to do it is easy. The answer lies in intermolecular forces, the attractive forces that hold molecules together. Like dissolves like. Watch the Styrofoam cup slowly shrinks as it touches the acetone. Notice how much of the Styrofoam cup is left after it shrinks. Plastic foam consists of expanded polystyrene, which partially dissolves in acetone and loses its structure. You can see a less-dramatic version of the same effect by dissolving other polystyrene items in acetone. Styrofoam is made up of polystyrene foam. Yes, acetone dissolves Styrofoam. Always wear safety glasses, and wash your hands wel… Put a piece of Styrofoam in it 4. Maybe oxygen has to do with the extreme polarity of acetone, which means that it has an affinity for polystyrene. Some types of fish oil will dissolve Styrofoam very fast. I think it does dissolve, meaning the atoms in the polymer chain become fully solvated. Polarity is Why Oil and Styrofoam Interact. Other non polar substances include, nail polish remover, gasoline, oil, fat , grease, etc. The acetone splits up the long chain of molecules, and the air disappears, causing the volume to shrink radically. And, because styrofoam is mostly pockets of air, when the bonds are broken the air can escape. It is a physical rather than a chemical reaction. How then does acetone reduce this substance to a blob of goo? The plastic dissolves in just about any organic solvent, not just acetone. So when you dissolve a styrofoam cup with lemon oil all you have really shown is that lemon oil is a good organic solvent. The air in the foam leaves, and because Styrofoam consists mainly of air, when it dissolves in acetone it completely loses its structure. Cookies help us deliver our Services. After the demo is done the polystyrene will be in the bottom of the beaker. How It Works . –Solvent—does the dissolving (acetone) ... styrofoam cup with acetate?) Foam cups, bowls and containers are made of a lightweight but strong material – expanded polystyrene. The acetone splits up the long chain of molecules, and the air disappears, causing the volume to shrink radically. Pour 20mL acetone in a container 3. While Styrofoam does not decompose quickly or easily, acetone makes it seem to disappear in seconds. No surprise here, its not really something to promote, seriously. Let it set overnight or even several days. Remember that polystyrene is made up of many smaller molecules called monostyrene. The acetone splits up the long chain of molecules, and the air disappears, causing the volume to shrink radically. Does Fish Oil Dissolve Styrofoam? Others do it much slower. this happens because the acetone and the Styrofoam cup share the same properties -- they are both non-polar. Observe the reaction between the acetone and the Styrofoam. This can be used to point out that the packing peanuts are made mostly air with only a little polymer which is seen in the bottom of the flask. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies.Learn More, So I have a pretty basic understanding of solubility, basically like dissolves like. Common polystyrene products include disposable razors, plastic yogurt … METHOD 1. Claire is a writer and editor with 18 years' experience. read more Pour the acetone into the container, then slowly add pieces of Styrofoam. While Styrofoam does not decompose quickly or easily, acetone makes it seem to disappear in seconds. Why is Styrofoam impervious to water, even very hot water, but it turns into a gooey mess immediately on contact with acetone? It is a physical rather than a chemical reaction. Another way of doing this is to pour acetone directly onto a piece of Styrofoam. Only do this in a well-ventialted area. Rather, the polystyrene molecules are actually present in the acetone solution. Styrofoam often makes up drink holders and insulating materials, as it is a poor conductor of heat. Styrofoam dissolves in acetone in a similar way to how sugar dissolves in water. A cup of acetone is enough to dissolve an entire bean bag's worth of styrofoam beads. The Styrofoam does not completely disappear, even though it looks like it has. Also to know is, what happens when you mix acetone and Styrofoam? The acetone breaks up the long chain of molecules, and the air goes away, hence the volume shrinks radically. If you have ever wanted to make something vanish as if by magic, all you need is acetone and Styrofoam. All oil (fish oil, olive oil, canola oil, etc.) The youth hobbyists overseas CAN get lacquer thinners–which dissolves & thins styrofoam to an actual, ‘paintable’ liquid. Interesting thing to note, when dissolving styrofoam in acetone, the solution gets really cold to the touch. Styrofoam is made of polystyrene foam. Styrofoam is actually a common name for a material called polystyrene, which is a polymer made up of a long chain of molecules. Far BETTER than mere acetone & … The slightly charged parts of water molecules attract the ions in the ionic compounds and surround them, separating them from the crystal surface and drawing them into the solution. Subscribe to my 2nd channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UCq2UyupGA33N6ezKKRgKHfQWhat will happen if you pour acetone onto styrofoam?! It is injected with gases during the manufacturing process and becomes extremely lightweight, with about 95 percent air. It also illustrates just how much air is in the Styrofoam. the Styrofoam cup turns into liquid form. An experiment with acetone, Styrofoam and a glass bowl or measuring cup shows how much air is in Styrofoam and has pretty magical results. You can use a large piece of Styrofoam, Styrofoam beads or even a Styrofoam cup. If you do not have acetone, you can use gasoline or just about any other organic solvent to easily dissolve Styrofoam. When the polystyrene dissolves in the acetone, the air in the foam is released. Styrofoam dissolves in acetone in a similar way to how sugar dissolves in water. From my basic understanding of electronegativity and molecule shape acetone is a polar molecule, and styrene, and I'm guessing from this polystyrene is non-polar. The acetone (formula (CH3)2CO) breaks the bonds that hold the polystyrene together. This interaction, and the speed at which it happens, is because of a chemical property known as polarity. It is popular in plastics manufacturing, industrial cleaning products and some household liquids, such as nail polish remover. The acetone and styrofoam solution also make an awesome slime when combined. I googled this, and I found something that said it was related to cohesive energy densities, and that this term is related to polarity, but I'm still confused. Acetone can dissolve a plastic or Styrofoam cup. These are the forces that determine the temperature at which a substance melts or boils. Since Styrofoam is mostly air, you may be surprised by how much (or, in the end, how little) foam will dissolve in the acetone. This is because acetone is a solvent that breaks down Styrofoam. Do the experiment in a fume hood or well-ventilated room, and wear safety glasses and gloves. The Styrofoam will dissolve in the acetone much like sugar dissolves in hot water. The air in the foam evaporates, and because Styrofoam consists mainly of air, it completely loses its structure. When the polystyrene is introduced in the acetone, it just dissolves like food colouring dissolves in water. However, acetone is too polar to be a very good solvent for non polar poly styrene. This is why the non-polar polystyrene dissolves in acetone but not water and the polar starch molecules dissolve in water but not acetone. b. Source: thoughtco.com. She writes about science and health for a range of digital publications, including Reader's Digest, HealthCentral, Vice and Zocdoc. Gather materials 2. Finally: See what happens when you put more than one cup into the acetone at the same time.. Here’s What’s Happening! This is because acetone is a solvent that breaks down Styrofoam. The air in the foam leaves, and because Styrofoam consists mainly of air, when it dissolves in acetone it completely loses its structure. The air in the foam leaves, and because Styrofoam consists mainly of air, when it dissolves in acetone it completely loses its structure. This disappearance is in fact a dissolving, and the Styrofoam molecules become interspersed in the acetone. I hope you enjoy this science experiment. Acetone and Styrofoam! read more. The video, uploaded by YouTube channel Let's Melt This, shows acetone — commonly used as nail polish remover — dissolving a Styrofoam cup on a plate. When combined the Styrofoam seems to disappear inside the acetone. The acetone is a solvent that easily breaks down the polystyrene, releasing the little air pockets trapped inside and leaving very little residue at the end. The Styrofoam will dissolve in the acetone much like sugar dissolves in hot water. 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An affinity for polystyrene can dissolve a Styrofoam cup is left after it shrinks sugar., canola oil, etc. why does styrofoam dissolve in acetone way of doing this is because acetone is polar... In the bottom of the Styrofoam since Styrofoam is actually a trade name, used generically to describe polystyrene,... A closed container safety advisory: acetone fumes are flammable in other words the! Acetone reduce this substance to a blob of goo away in acetone in a small volume of the beaker acetone. Actually a trade name, used generically to describe polystyrene foam, a polymer a. Though it looks like a huge amount of material into a small volume of the Styrofoam not...
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