Magic in a Bottle

Intro: Magic in a Bottle

Supplies:
Apron
Goggles
Gloves
3 beakers
Stiring rod
Glass jar with a screw on top or a glass soda bottle with a cork
3 grams of Silver Nitrate
3 grams of Sodium Hydroxide
4 grams of sugar
Ammonia
H2O


WARNING!
Do NOT make it over than 2 hours. (it will create a toxic gas after awhile)
Needed to be made in a vented area.
Make sure to wash the chemical when finished!

STEP 1:

Step 1.
Get ready for safty! Put on your apron, googles, and your gloves.

STEP 2:

Step 2.
Place the 3 grams of silver nitrate into a beaker and add water and stir until the silver nitrate disovles.

STEP 3:

Step 3.
Place the 3 grams of sodium hydroxide into a beaker and add water and stir until the sodium hydroxide disolves.

STEP 4:

Step 4.
Pour the disolved silver nitrate and the sodium hydroxide into your jar or glass soda bottle. In return you will get a brown liquid that looks like watery mud.

STEP 5:

Step 5.
Add ammonia into the same jar or glass soda bottle until the chemical liquid truns back to a clear liquid.

STEP 6:

Step 6.
Add the 4 grams of sugar into the same jar or glass soda bottle.

STEP 7:

Step 7.
If you have a glass jar, screw on your lid. If you have a glass soda bottle, close it with a cork

STEP 8:

Step 8.
Shake your jar or glass soda bottle vigorously until the inside is not transparent.

STEP 9:

Step 9.
Wait until your jar or glass soda bottle turns sliver.

STEP 10:

Step 10.
As you dump the remains in the sink. YOU NEED TO DILUTE THE LIQUID WITH WATER WHILE YOU POUR DOWN THE DRAIN!

STEP 11:

Step 11.
Re close your jar or glass soda bottle and NEVER open it!

Comments

[smartiealex11]

Why does it say never open it? Is it because it forms toxic gas or will the silver tarnish, or what?

[lime3D]

What is the point of this?

[ChrisB149]

bourbon and scotch enthusiasts might like to glass bottles and display in their office or man cave. I know guys with $2,000 plus dollar bottles they have saved for wedding or the birth of a child and want to save it forever.

[Kiteman]

If you see all the steps, it's how to add a coating of silver to the bottle.

[lime3D]

Yes, I see that, but why?

[Kiteman]

Why not?

[lime3D]

The last step states, "Re close your jar or glass soda bottle and NEVER open it!"

So again, what is the point in coating a vessel that will never be opened. I can accomplish the same effect by filling it up with paint.

All I'm asking for is a simple introductory statement by the author.

[Kiteman]

Not every project requires a practical, reasoned explanation. Sometimes you just Make.

If you can't see the point of using chemistry to make a perfect mirror finish, just because you can, then I doubt anything the author says will change your mind either.

[lime3D]

You win.

[Kiteman]

I didn't realise it was a contest?

[hosseinsam777]

Hey guys! I have a problem in making this. I do the steps and the end my solution becomes dark brown but not that much that you cannot be able to see through and nothing happens afterwards! no matter how much you shake it or even warm it to about 60 - 70 C. I have done this 3 times and even waited for 2 hours and no reaction and silver coating!
Can anyone help?

[seleniebeanie67]

https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Glass-Mirrors-With-Silver-Nitrate-Sugar-Am/

This other instructable uses sugar, and look in the comments section about contaminants. Hope it helps

[hosseinsam777]

Hey guys! I have a problem in making this. I do the steps and the end my solution becomes dark brown but not that much that you cannot be able to see through and nothing happens afterwards! no matter how much you shake it or even warm it to about 60 - 70 C. I have done this 3 times and even waited for 2 hours and no reaction and silver coating!
Can anyone help?

[hosseinsam777]

Hey guys! I have a problem in making this. I do the steps and the end my solution becomes dark brown but not that much that you cannot be able to see through and nothing happens afterwards! no matter how much you shake it or even warm it to about 60 - 70 C. I have done this 3 times and even waited for 2 hours and no reaction and silver coating!
Can anyone help?

[hotglue]

Hi there, I am looking to create a mirror surface on a glass tube (0.5" diameter, 6" long) for a photography experiment. Where can I obtain the chemicals you mention?

thx!

[kymyst]

This reaction is well known to organic chemists as Fehling's test for aldehydes. It can also be used to produce first surface silvered mirrors. But if I just wanted a silver glass jar, I would go for the much cheaper option of spraying the inside with bright chrome paint. And PLEASE delete the 11 photos of the same bloody jar !

[kymyst]

Ooops ! My memory has slipped up again, that should have been Tollen's test, not Fehling's.

[trendmonkey]

Silver nitrate isn't exactly cheap and I suspect you're flushing most of it down the sink which isn't a good thing. Also, if you varnish the inside you can open the jar as as often as you like without the silver turning black through oxidation.

[Lectric Wizard]

Really needs an introduction to let readers know what you're doing. I didn't know till step 9... needs more pix, not just the same one over & over. But it is an interesting subject !!

[Kiteman]

This is how they used to add the silver layer to mirrors.

You really ought to do the experiment again, and take a photo of each step, or even take a video.