Dimes and older copper pennies pre1982 register here. Since the metallic silver is not important for the reaction to proceed, we can use any inert solid that is conductivefor the sake of this example we will use silver, but silver makes for a very expensive inert electrode. Penny pre1982 hot plate 1 m zncl 2 or 1 m znso 4 glass stirring rod granular zn tongs bunsen burner 150 ml beaker procedure. Before reading any further, dont send me an email about how you damaged your coins cleaning them from a method you learned about on metal detecting in the usa. No one can just turn pennies into silver or gold coins, but someone with a few chemicals can. Turn pennies silver and gold chemistry trick youtube. This may happen within 2 minutes, but can take as long as 10 minutes. The demand for physical gold and silver as an investment remains strong today. Turning copper coins into silver and gold funded by the seventh framework programme of the european union fp7scienceinsociety20121, grant agreement n. On the other hand, the saltvinegar residue on the unrinsed pennies promotes a reaction between the copper and the oxygen in. Once pennies are coated, place on a hot plate at roughly a 75% setting 3. This science experiment will show you how to turn a penny into gold with common chemicals. Copper to silver to gold my secret science recipes. This video tutorial will demonstrate turning the copper penny into a silver penny and into a gold cent.
Using tweezers, carefully remove the pennies from the solution, rinse and cool them in small wash beaker then dry them on a paper towel. Lithium shows you how to turn pennies into silver and gold coins using zinc. A brass alloy is formed on the surface of a penny pre 1982 to generate silver color. This lab is called the alchemy lab because it will look like you are changing pennies into silver and then gold. Perform something close to alchemy by dipping a copper coin into a solution of sodium zincate in contact with zinc to make it appear silver, before holding it in a. When we do this well make the alloy brass which has a nice gold color. Coat pennies with zinc see attached instructions 2. Jewelry detects gold and silver rings, costume jewelry, pendants and medium to large chains and bracelets. Apr 01, 2010 in the gold penny lab, what causes the penny to turn from silver to gold. Many nonus coins of recent vintage will also register here. The heat used to change the penny to gold causes the zinc atoms coating the penny to move in between the copper atoms and create brass, which. This mixing of metals is an alloy called yellow brass.
Students will watch as you place pennies into a chemical solution that turns the pennies silver. Rinsing the pennies with water stops the reaction between the saltvinegar and the pennies. Demonstrate to your students what the alchemists only dreamed about. Pennies cu, 3m sodium hydroxide naoh, and zinc zn safety. The gold penny lab northern highlands regional high school. After the students have completed this activity they can design an experiment to help them determine if the composition of the different pennies is copper, silver and gold. How to make pennies turn from copper to silver to gold. The good news is, you can turn old pennies into what looks like gold. A common classroom chemistry experiment, changing a penny from copper to silver to gold demonstrates how elements can be manipulated and combined to produce something else.
So, if you want to cooler cents in your pocket, try out this chemistry trick yourself. Gently heat the coin in the outer cool part of a burner flame. View can the penny really turn into silver and gold 1 1 from english 21001 at the city college of new york, cuny. The pennies arent really gold but rather the alloy brass. Remove pennies one at a time using the tweezers and run under water until the slimy coating is removed. The heat used to change the penny to gold causes the zinc atoms coating the penny to move in between the copper atoms and create brass, which appears gold. You should understand that when you galvanized your penny you put a coating of silver zinc on it. First of all, gold pennies dont exist unless youre a 20thcentury alchemist who knows something about the science of alloys. It will be your task to analyze what caused these changes.
Coin toning definition, discussion and effect on value. Pennies ordinarily are coppercolored, but you can use chemistry knowhow to turn them silver or even gold. How to make gold pennies experiments steve spangler science. A silver penny by coating zinc onto their penny a gold penny by heating their silver penny.
A dealer of rare gold coins isnt likely to be interested in a wheat penny or buffalo nickel. Mint online catalog annual sets for information on selection and price. Based on this information, did you really change the copper token into gold. The percentages of copper and zinc in brass vary depending on the type of brass. As part of this experiment, students dip copper pennies into zinc, which covers the copper and gives the penny a. Use tongs to remove the pennies out of the solution and rinse the pennies with water to remove chunks of zinc. Not the most cost effective way of getting your hands on some gold. We place great importance on the safe handling of your pdf documents.
Making a silver penny 1 place enough zinc filings in a 100 ml beaker to cover the bottom 2 carefully add 20 ml of 3m sodium hydroxide naoh to the same beaker 3 place the beaker on a hot plate. Turn pennies from copper to silver then to gold with a few household chemicals. Cuzn turning pennies into gold lecture demonstration. First, get 30g of zinc sulfate and dissolve it into 100ml of water. The captivating chemistry of coins american chemical society. Gold prospecting special programs, features and or operating frequencies for the challenge of finding gold nuggets, small to large. Turn copper pennies into silver and gold chemistry trick. Get out your magic wands and prepare to be amazed at yourself as you use chemistry to turn plain old pennies into silver, then into gold. If you have pre1983 pennies, they are made of solid. Classroom resources the captivating chemistry of coins. Additionally, toning can also turn ugly and occur in shades of black and brown. As part of this experiment, students dip copper pennies into zinc, which covers the copper and gives the penny a shiny silver color. This makes the outer layer of zinc mix with the copper below, which becomes an alloy called yellow brass. Pennies were 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc until 1982, when the composition was changed to 97.
Then we heated the penny in a bunsen burner and it turned a gold color. Currency converter international currency converter exchange rates for up to 164 currencies and three different precious metals to include gold, silver and platinum. Silver coins tend to tone in the most vivid colors. For hundreds of years this was the main goal of the alchemists to turn cheap base metals like lead or copper into gold. Then, over heat, the silver penny will change into gold. The density of copper, zinc, silver, and gold are given in the table below. At last, he had the philosophers stone and could produce tons and tons of gold. Looks like a fun experiment when the kids are older. You can collect pennies from students and have them sort out into two groupspre1982 and post1983 pennies.
In this lab, you become a 20thcentury alchemist and turn pennies into shiny silver and gold. Alchemists in the middle ages believed they could turn ordinary metals into gold. If the liquid begins to boil, turn down the hot plate a little. Zinc, on the other hand, would react with air and in a few days youd have a dull grey penny. Quick chemistry demonstrations for the high school. This version of silver and gold pennies utilizes zinc sulfate as less caustic than sodium hydroxide and works as. Get rich quick by turning an ordinary penny into silver and then gold. All uploaded pdf files are removed after the rotation process has finished, including permanently rotated pdf. You can now place the silver pennies on the hot plate. Brass has the advantage of being corrosion resistant. Work in a welllit environment so the lettering and mint marks are as visible as possible. Oct 16, 2007 in a lab we used zinc and naoh to turn pennys from copper to a silver color and then into a gold color. How to turn a penny into gold with common chemicals.
Gold and silver pennies chemistry project thoughtco. Turning copper into silver into gold science learning space. Gold pennies teacher demo student participation theres just something strange about a gold penny. Even though its a gold penny, the us treasury has a little problem with people trying to buy something with gold pennies. In a display of alchemy we turn copper pennies into silver and finally to gold. Use two different types of electrochemical cells galvanic and electrolytic to plate a copper penny. The only way you can turn them into gold or silver would b. Obviously its a chemistry trick but still impressive. In the gold penny lab, what causes the penny to turn from. We suggest that this lab be performed as a teacher demo or as a supervised chemistry experiment in the lab. Oct 04, 2019 guests will have access to interactive exhibits, including attractions such as collecting dna, make slime to take home, take a handwashing challenge, use a microscope, control a robot, read to a dog, look at your own cells, turn pennies into silver and gold, generate electricity, play math bingo, physics fun, create colored fire, see.
A copper penny appears to turn to silver after heating in an evaporating dish with a mixture. Light the splint before turning on the gas tap close the air hole. Once a wire is in place to connect the copper electrode to the silver electrode we. In this activity you will determine whether it is possible to turn copper into gold. Turn pennies silver and gold chemistry experiments. Seriously though, theres no way to turn an old penny into real gold.
Gold penny experiment turn pennies silver and then gold. And by using sufficient heat, a zinc plated copper penny can be changed to a gold color. In a chemistry lab we did, we immersed pennies into a heated solution of zinc powder and naoh, turning the penny silver. No, you wont be transmuting the copper into precious metal, but youll learn how alloys are made. The video below documents the process used to make gold pennies. You would just need to bombard the pennies with protons and neutrons until they turn to gold. Turn an ordinary copper penny into silver and then into gold. They will slowly turn dull again over time, but not quickly enough for you to watch. In 1983, the us treasury started making pennies with a zinc core with a copper coating turns out they weigh less and cost less to make than their pre1983 counterparts, which were made with an alloy of 95% copper. A silver coin with a later date may have been caused by one of two methods. Jun 06, 2017 turning copper pennies into silver and gold pennies when a copper penny is zinc plated it will appear to change from its copper color to silver color.
After over a thousand years at the dawn of a new science, chemistry, they gave up their ambition to change lead into gold. When a copper penny is zinc plated it will appear to change from its copper color to silver color. To those who do not read ancient hebrew, we have taken the liberty of translating the. In order to turn the penny gold well melt the thin layer of zinc on the outside of the penny into the copper underneath. Then using the tweezers turn the pennies over until both pennies are completely plated with the zn. Gold and silver pennies california state university. Please consult your current flinn scientific catalogreference manual for general.
Remove the coin from heat as soon as it changes color. The list above also doesnt include proof lincoln cents which you wouldnt ordinarily find in circulation. While youre stuck at home, make the most of your time by learning a new language, skill, or even train for a remotework job with our new premium online courses. Coin guides coin price guides, tips, free pdf coin books. Jan 27, 2009 turn pennies from copper to silver then to gold with a few household chemicals. When you heated this copper penny with the zinc coating, a brass alloy formed. A chemical reaction plates the pennies with zinc, making them appear silver. All you need are a couple of common chemicals to turn your normal coppercolored pennies or another mainlycopper object from copper to silver and then to gold. How to enable and disable chrome pdf viewer on pc or mac. Can the penny really turn into silver and gold 1 1 1. Turn pennies silver and gold chemistry experiments, chemistry. In this video we turn copper pennies into silver and finally to gold. For large lecture halls, project demonstration using a document camera. How to make gold pennies experiments steve spangler.
All you need to make gold pennies is sodium hydroxide also known as lye, zinc powder, a small glass beaker with some distilled water in it, a clean copper penny, a couple of measuring spoons, and a. Turning copper pennies into silver and gold pennies dr. There are two rules to cleaning coins metal detecting in. Gold pennies or just clean in cola or vinegar when the zinc covered penny was heated, the copper atoms of the penny and the zinc atoms coating the penny mixed and turned gold in color. The gold rushturning pennies into silver and goldchemical.
When you heat it, the copper and zinc atoms move around because of heat excitement. Modern day alchemists, cleverly disguised as chemistry teachers, often share the secret of making gold pennies. In a lab we used zinc and naoh to turn pennys from copper to a silver color and then into a gold color. Many years ago i worked at a plating house and have a vague recollection of the art of. First, a popular science experiment for chemistry students is to use a penny to explain how electroplating works. How to turn pennies into silver and gold coins with zinc. Turning pennies gold color actually brass a discussion started in 2001 but continuing through 2019. Gold and silver prices gold, silver, platinum and palladium precious metals. What is an alloy and how did we make an alloy in this lab. May 20, 2010 in this video we turn copper pennies into silver and finally to gold. During this lab you will change pennies from copper to silver to gold. Read my article in science education based on my dissertation. In this lab, you will be converting a regular penny into a gold penny. Turning copper coins into silver and gold resource rsc.
See more ideas about coins worth money, coin worth and rare coins. An alloy is a mixture of two or more metals dissolved in each other when molten or a metal and nonmetal fused together. The resulting token will be silver in color due to a coating of zinc on its surface. First we get 30g of zinc sulfate and dissolve it into 100ml of water. Colors can range in a variety of hues from brilliant blue to deep magenta, from vivid red to deep orange and a variety of shades of olive, green and gold. The zinc which was already silver coated the penny. Turning copper pennies into silver and gold pennies. If you do not find what you are looking for, also check out. Gold penny lab do not write on this lab paper objective. And by using sufficient heat, a zinc plated copper penny can be changed to gold. Over the last 15 years, this physical demand has continued unabated. Take good pictures of the coins to get more interest and fairer offers for your coins.