KITCHEN CHEMISTRY
CLEANING COPPER PENNIES
How would you like to turn dull, dirty pennies shiny again? It just takes a little kitchen science.
You will need:
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Some dirty pennies
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¼ cup white vinegar
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1 teaspoon salt
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A small non-metallic (glass or china) bowl.
Steps:
1. Pour the vinegar into the bowl, and add the salt, stirring until the salt is completely dissolved.
2. Drop in the pennies, (optional: say a few words of magic over them), and watch how fast they start to brighten! Stir them around so the solution covers both sides of the coins.
3. After about a minute, take the pennies out and dry them off entirely before washing them. (If water is added to the solution, or the pennies are left in the solution too long, they will corrode and turn green.)
How does this work? Salt and vinegar mixed together create sodium acetate and hydrogen chloride, which remove the copper oxide that makes pennies dull.
(Tip for adults: Hang on to the shiny pennies to use for treasure hunts or prizes.)