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A Molecule That Likes to Explode - Model Kit Activity #4
Featured Molecule
The featured molecule in this model kit activity page is acetylene. Acetylene is the simplest alkyne with the formula C2H2. It is a colorless gas that is used as a fuel and a chemical building block.
Molecular Poesy
Ethyne's Free Energy is plus; /
A fact that here I will discuss. /
To make this molecule from scratch, /
Some energy one must dispatch. /
Ethyne must hold this heavy load, /
And so it sometimes can explode. /
When ethyne burns, this energy /
Is extra energy for free. /
Of course with this I'm having fun. /
This verse contains a chemist's pun!
Molecular Prose
Acetylene has a standard enthalpy of formation of approximately +227 kJ/mol. At high pressures, it is unstable, and it will explode. Explosion products at high pressure are simply carbon and hydrogen. Acetylene's combustion temperature at normal atmospheric pressure is quite high, hence its utility in welding. Because of acetylene's tendency to explode at high pressure, acetone is included in high pressure storage tanks to reduce the pressure by dissolution. The Virtual Model Kit activity page for this post deals with bond order change, the Length button and the Optimize button.
Here is the link to the activity page: Load Activity Page
The featured demo video for this page is a video showing the combustion and explosion of acetylene. The acetylene is generated by the reaction of calcium carbide with water.
