The ammonia fountain is a type of chemical demonstration. The experiment consists of introducing

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...

through an inlet to a container filled with

ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous was ...

gas. Ammonia dissolves into the water and the pressure in the container drops. As a result, more water is forced into the container from another inlet creating a

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or Spring (hydrology), spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. ...

effect. The demonstration introduces concepts like

solubility In chemistry, solubility is the ability of a substance, the solute, to form a solution with another substance, the solvent. Insolubility is the opposite property, the inability of the solute to form such a solution. The extent of the solubil ...

and the

gas law The gas laws were developed at the end of the 18th century, when scientists began to realize that relationships between pressure, volume and temperature of a sample of gas could be obtained which would hold to approximation for all gases. Boyle ...

s at entry level. Ammonia Fountain Experiment

A different gas of comparable solubility in water, such as

hydrogen chloride The compound hydrogen chloride has the chemical formula and as such is a hydrogen halide. At room temperature, it is a colourless gas, which forms white fumes of hydrochloric acid upon contact with atmospheric water vapor. Hydrogen chloride ga ...

, can be used instead of ammonia. If the ammonia is replaced by a liquid vapor, such as water vapor, at a pressure higher than its room-temperature vapor pressure, a similar effect is produced. In this case, the reduction in pressure in the container is due to condensation of the vapor as the container cools to room temperature. Another reported variation involves

copper sulfate Copper sulfate may refer to: * Copper(II) sulfate, CuSO4, a common compound used as a fungicide and herbicide * Copper(I) sulfate Copper(I) sulfate, also known as cuprous sulfate, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Cu2 SO4. It ...

. ''A(nother) Modification of the Ammonia Fountain Demonstration'' Ben Ruekberg and David L. Freeman Journal of Chemical Education 2017 94 (10), 1397-1398

References

External links

A Youtube video showing an ammonia fountain
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ammonia Fountain Ammonia Chemistry classroom experiments