After quite some time, or after exposure to an acid, pennies will form copper sulfate, carbonate, and chloride salts, which gives pennies a green color. Over time, pennies form a layer of copper oxide on the surface of the penny, which actually protects it from further corruption.
Pennies turn dull and green due to oxidation.
Ketchup and oranges have a high acid content as do vinegar and lemons.Ĭleaning Pennies Science Experiment Explained
#Vinegar and salt patina copper zip#
Then it was sealed in a plastic zip lock bag with a small bowl of ammonia where it remained. Will using lemon juice and salt have better results than vinegar? Try other materials containing small amounts of acid to see which produces the best results. Again, the copper was dipped in vinegar and sprinkled with sea salt. Repeat the experiment with the same pennies in a new solution of vinegar and salt and see if you can make them even brighter! The pennies will be cleaner and brighter than before. Wait about 5 minutes, then remove the pennies from the solution. Mix until the salt is dissolved (it helps if the vinegar is a little warm). If you have dirty, dull, or green pennies lying around, try the cleaning pennies science experiment to turn them bright again! You need just a few things for this experiment:Ĭreate a solution of vinegar and salt using one teaspoon of salt and 1/4 of a cup of vinegar. Kids will love trying their hand at the classic cleaning pennies science experiment to see if they can use a chemical reaction to make pennies shine brightly once again. Chemical reactions are responsible for the change in a penny’s appearance over time. Have you ever wondered why some pennies are shiny and some are dull? It’s not just dependent on how old the pennies are.
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