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[AugustWest]

Thank you, you are both very kind.

[captainimpossibles]

Pfft. All your stories are too long. I didn't read them. Make them shorter. For example, look at this anecdote that Hemingway posted on a similar thread-

'Tried to iron my shirt while wearing it. It hurt.'

[satchel]

I first read this thread and was assaulted by so many memories of past stupidity that I was debilitated. I’ve pulled the ‘forgot to use the parking brake’ a couple of times myself, once with car damage and once, miraculously, without. But one thing sticks out as completely retarded (

When I was sixteen, I opened a bottle of hydrochloric acid by biting the stopper and pulling it out with my teeth. The acid got on my two bottom front teeth and ate out their interiors. So I had a couple of half-hollow lower front teeth that lasted a little while (over a year actually) but eventually broke into pieces.

[V-Adore]

When I was sixteen, I opened a bottle of hydrochloric acid by biting the stopper and pulling it out with my teeth.

Why were you doing this, again?

Of course, this reminds me of a friend of mine in high school Honors Chem who, while we were working on an inorganic analysis thing using concentrated acids and bases, managed to spill concentrated hydrochloric acid on his hand. His brilliant solution? Spill concentrated ammonium hydroxide on it so that they would neutralize. Suffice to say that it didn't work... "OW! Shit! Hey, pass me the NH4OH... ... OW, JESUS!!"

The saddest thing: he graduated near the top of our class.

[slink]

When I was sixteen, I opened a bottle of hydrochloric acid by biting the stopper and pulling it out with my teeth.

At the high school I used to attend - Lockerbie Academy (yes, the Lockerbie), all of the teachers had, let's say, colourful personalities.
When the chemistry head of dept. and the technicians realised their store of Potassium was not only improperly stored, but that they had too much and didn't want to disclose the information, they decided to get rid of it.
This they did by taking a row-boat out onto a small lake, and tipped it in...
Need I say what happened next!

I swear, this is absolutely true, and one of the most utterly retarded things anyone could ever do, particularly when they ought to have known better!

[andalucia]

I had a LOT of trouble in chemistry class.  I spilled hydrochloric acid, quite concentrated, all over the sheet for my practical exam.  At first it was fine.  Then it turned black and fell apart.  
It may have been the only time that teacher ever smiled at me.

[AugustWest]

When I was sixteen, I opened a bottle of hydrochloric acid by biting the stopper and pulling it out with my teeth.

At the high school I used to attend - Lockerbie Academy (yes, the Lockerbie), all of the teachers had, let's say, colourful personalities.
When the chemistry head of dept. and the technicians realised their store of Potassium was not only improperly stored, but that they had too much and didn't want to disclose the information, they decided to get rid of it.
This they did by taking a row-boat out onto a small lake, and tipped it in...
Need I say what happened next!

I swear, this is absolutely true, and one of the most utterly retarded things anyone could ever do, particularly when they ought to have known better!

I've forgotten much of my high school chemistry.  Would the result be similar to what you'd get if you dropped sodium into the lake?

[V-Adore]

I've forgotten much of my high school chemistry.  Would the result be similar to what you'd get if you dropped sodium into the lake?

Yeah, exactly. Although... if I'm recalling correctly, unless it was a seriously large amont of potassium, wouldn't the effect not be particularly dramatic? I don't remember sodium or potassium exploding particularly gloriously.

[AlohaDawg]

We used to steal potassium from the lab and throw it in rain puddles. It actually was pretty bright and loud and dramatic.

[slink]

We used to steal potassium from the lab and throw it in rain puddles. It actually was pretty bright and loud and dramatic.

Indeed. It is fairly fierce. And it was a rather large quantity (probably a very large quantity when you think about the amounts you tend to see of it in High School chemistry lessons!). It ended up without the boat. It also wasn't in one piece, which meant the reaction was far faster and more spread out.

I would have paid to see it.
I'm also still amazed no one managed to drown during that.
Also, yes it would be like Sodium's reaction with water, only Potassium, having the higher atomic number, reacts far more fiercely.

[Mite]

Yes, but potassium is a heavier element, farther down the periodic table - and thus even more reactive.

Man, I would have loved to have seen that (from a safe distance)!

[AugustWest]

Thanks Mr. Wizard!

Sounds to me like the described dumping would have been better accomplished with a large slingshot made of inner tubes, or perhaps a catapult such as Wile E. Coyote would order from the Acme Company so as to acheive the desired potassium immersion yet remain at a remove from the desired spectacular display.

[V-Adore]

... Somehow I'd managed to forget about potassium being farther down the scale than sodium. I guess high school chemistry was a while ago.

Still: cesium. Consider it, won't you?

[CortJstr]

Still: cesium. Consider it, won't you?

This would make an awesome billboard.

[slink]

Thanks Mr. Wizard!

Sounds to me like the described dumping would have been better accomplished with a large slingshot made of inner tubes, or perhaps a catapult such as Wile E. Coyote would order from the Acme Company so as to acheive the desired potassium immersion yet remain at a remove from the desired spectacular display.

How about say, a hole in the ground!?
Seems slightly more obvious to me. Possibly less fun I guess.
Yes, I'd use your technique on second thoughts.