“Even Streng had to give up on some of the planned experiments, though (bonus dormitat Strengus?). Sulfur compounds defeated him, because the thermodynamics were just too titanic. Hydrogen sulfide, for example, reacts with four molecules of FOOF to give sulfur hexafluoride, 2 molecules of HF and four oxygens. . .and 433 kcal, which is the kind of every-man-for-himself exotherm that you want to avoid at all cost. The sulfur chemistry of FOOF remains unexplored, so if you feel like whipping up a batch of Satan’s kimchi, go right ahead.”
Instead of being locked in a self-storage unit with two rabid wolverines, why not three? Instead of having two liters of pyridine poured down your trousers, why not three? And so on - it’s a liberating thought. It’s true that adding more oxygen-oxygen bonds to a compound will eventually liberate the tiles from your floor and your windows from their frames, but that comes with the territory.
I’m in tears from this stuff and I know fuckall about chemistry.
Though I managed in chemistry, I understand that kcal is just an expression of energy and the reaction’s event total time is important in judging ‘violence’ of reaction - but for the uninitiated like myself, how do I quantify “433 kcal” compared to a more mundane reaction?
You know the typical explosion of Hydrogen and Oxygen. Four times that. And most Hydrogen and Oxygen explosion aren’t even properly mixed. So even more than that.
“Even Streng had to give up on some of the planned experiments, though (bonus dormitat Strengus?). Sulfur compounds defeated him, because the thermodynamics were just too titanic. Hydrogen sulfide, for example, reacts with four molecules of FOOF to give sulfur hexafluoride, 2 molecules of HF and four oxygens. . .and 433 kcal, which is the kind of every-man-for-himself exotherm that you want to avoid at all cost. The sulfur chemistry of FOOF remains unexplored, so if you feel like whipping up a batch of Satan’s kimchi, go right ahead.”
Holy shit I’m dying.
From the peroxide-peroxides article:
I’m in tears from this stuff and I know fuckall about chemistry.
Though I managed in chemistry, I understand that kcal is just an expression of energy and the reaction’s event total time is important in judging ‘violence’ of reaction - but for the uninitiated like myself, how do I quantify “433 kcal” compared to a more mundane reaction?
You know the typical explosion of Hydrogen and Oxygen. Four times that. And most Hydrogen and Oxygen explosion aren’t even properly mixed. So even more than that.
Oh my