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Sympathy for the Alchemist - Demo Video #1
Introduction
The featured molecular model image for this essay is aurothioglucose. Until the modern era, gold compounds were automatically thought to have curative powers. Aurothioglucose is a compound that was used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Although some patients reacted positively to the aurothioglucose, the compound was not effective for most users. Historically, the early chemists (alchemists) had a fascination with gold. The chemical demonstration video for this page is a reaction that alchemists performed thinking that iron was "transmuted" into copper. The demonstration simply involves adding a solution of copper sulfate (in alchemist terms: blue vitriol) to iron nails (in alchemist terms: well -- iron nails). After a period of time, copper crystals develop on the nails which appear to be the transmutation of iron into copper. To the alchemists, metallic lead should be a good element for transmuation into gold. In reality, we now know this reaction as a redox reaction in which the copper ions are reduced by iron to copper metal that collects on the iron surface. However, you can see how the alchemists were fooled. - "All that glitters is not gold!"
If you view aurothioglucose in the model kit, you will have to do a little molecular modeling before you use any of the data search buttons. A single bond must be used to connect the Au and S atoms. After doing this, The + and - charges will also have to be removed. In the model kit, clicking the following buttons will provide model window instructions for making these changes: 1) Any atom button (e.g C); 2) The Q+ button; 3) The Q- button.
Watch the Sympathy for the Alchemist Demo Video:
