Making a silver mirror
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- Today we will be doing a demonstration of the Tollen's test and use it to make a silver mirror.
The Tollen's test is mainly used to identify aldehyde groups (forms a silver mirror) and it was historically used a lot. It was slowly replaced with more accurate and better techniques. However, it is still very useful for hobbyist who can't afford big expensive machines. The silver mirror is kind of an off-shoot of the Tollen test, where all we are after is the mirror that forms. We use glucose because it is a cheap and easy aldehyde source.
In the future, I might make a video where I identify an uknown chemical using a series of classic techniques.
My video on making silver nitrate: studio.youtube...
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Nile talks about lab safety: • Chemistry is dangerous.
That phrasing ''With a little bit of acid the beautifull mirror dies'' so poetic
So poetic your pathetic.
@@sirmeliodas608 you're*
r/i'm14andthisisdeep
@@Gamma_Radiation r/subredditsdonthaveapostrophes
R/wash
In Alevels chemistry laboratory class, we made Tollen's reagent and produced the silver mirror. The teacher allowed us to take the test tube home so I took the one my group made. I still have it with me.
We did the same but unfortunately I didn't get one because the others from our group took our one home, still sad about that.
Wow then what happend?
@@AliceMeder ;(
My teacher told us to bring in a bottle that could close, because we were told to shake our reactions. I used a green wine bottle and it's gorgeous. We all took ours home as souvenirs. Same with our crystals.
same i just did this the other week!!!!!
You can use the store bought stuff (and I have) but it wont work for the actual test since it is usually contaminated with soap.
+Cody'sLab you are taking about the ammonia? I had no idea don't were soapy.
NileRed well as you two probably know you don't want to mix a comet and Clorox 4 the fact that ammonia and chlorine make mustard gas essentially
borttor MCPE You're wrong sir. There isn't any sulfur in either of those things.
Fred Singateh mustard gas is a combination of ammonia and chlorine sulfur might be added to it to make it fume more. those two when mixed evaporate the fumes of the solution are insanely toxic
borttor MCPE according to the big boy IUPAC, Mixing ammonia NH3 with bleach NaClO will create a small amount of chlorine gas Cl2 as well as several other biproducts such as N2 and more toxic products like hydrazine, chloromine, dichloromine and nitrogen trichloride. But not mustard gas. Because there is no nitrogen contained in mustard gas according to IUPAC. it is still very dangerous, but nothing but a myth you hear when people say it will create mustard gas. I would like to know where u heard tho so please respond.
Those silver-coated flasks would make excellent Christmas ornaments!
As far as I know thats exactly how those ornaments are made
@@sushmaverma3562 Whats your problem?
@@Landogarner83
That's right. My wife and i have some silver glass bell ornaments hat are about 125 years old at this point. They were made like this. They are still as bright as when made.
@@Landogarner83
If you look in old glassblowing books, you will see this is exactly how it was done to make Christmas ornaments.
We had a task in a class test in school that was like "It's Christmas and all you realize you don't have any ornaments for your tree, so you decide to make some yourself" with this experiment. 😂 So, yeah.
I’m gonna be completely honest here; I’m a freshman. I don’t even *take* chemistry yet and 99% of the time when I watch these videos I am completely lost when it comes to chemical compositions and all that. I still watch these, though, all the way to the end, because there’s something oddly fascinating about watching all this be made even though I totally don’t understand why or how it works (I’m not saying you explain bad btw, I’m sure if I really paid attention to it I could understand just fine, I’m just very dumb and very lazy.)
Same, even down to the freshman part. You should be a sophomore by now. If I'm correct then have fun!
Same... matter and it’s properties just fascinates me...
I too, am dumb and lazy.
Im not in college ,I am a welder . I have to watch a video sometimes a dozen times and work on and off for a week or 2 to half way to understand it .; But I will say Nile red is the easiest to understand and research
This was a year ago, so if you haven't taken chemistry yet, you'll learn nearly all of this stuff, them come back and you'll have a pretty good understanding of it
It's awesome that you will never run out of ideas in chemistry :D Your videos are lovely to watch!
Thanks! Every time i think i am running out of ideas, i get 1000 more
@@NileRed agreed
@@NileRed Haha ur jus' showing off noww...😂
I've always been moderately interested in Chemistry but you make it so easy to take in. I wish I had you as my Chem teacher in High School.
i love how now that i've taken a chemistry course, i can actually understand most of what he's saying.
I forgot everything
NO! YOU MONSTER! THE MIRROR! IT WAS SO PRETTY ):
I destroy pretty things
if you know what I mean
wink wonk
@@NileRed that was strangely erotic
@@cottonblend That is very serial killer-ish.
Making a mirror just so we can see you and your lab in it. Does your vanity know no bounds?
haha you got me. That was the entire idea behind this video. Busted
The Silver Mirror and Tollen's Test,or "Look at my reflection as I move this Round-Bottom Flask".
+HCN 27.0253g/mol that is definitely the more accurate title
When's the real face reveal tho?
+zabotheother That Bromine video.
Fun Fact: Apparently, this is why vampires couldn’t see themselves in mirrors because silver repels them
Vampires aren't real
That's what you think. 🧛♂️
@@Somethin_Slix But the stories behind them somewhat are.
Must be something to do with alchemy and the properties of silver
This may also be the reason vampires don't show up in photographs, since the light-sensitive chemicals in photographic film are silver halides.
I did this project in high school chemistry. I used a green wine bottle and it made a gorgeous green-gold mirror. After I saw how spectacular it was, I really wanted to try it on a red bottle. I saw someone who used blue, and it was pretty cool, but red... RED!
6:41 my man goin ham shaking that bottle, holy hell.
pause at 7:21, set 4k, Crop that, flip it , enhance, ENHANCE ! ENHANCE !
Give me a hard copy right there
Haven't you really saw him !?
@@LLL_14_85 this was 4 years ago~
This guy works so hard but still his Subscribers are 1.65 mil. He deserves much more.
He's at 3.47 now ❤️🥀
*Don’t know anything about chemistry but this is still one of my fav channels*
I remember doing silver mirror experiments in school, how nostalgic.
I wish my school had done it
Dang it Nile…I watch these videos to fall asleep… How am I supposed to do that when it’s so interesting!
This is how the first Christmas baubles where made.
The fact these videos don’t make me mindless but there’s also the most interesting thing to watch in a time where I can’t leave my room because of covid makes me both sad and happy
Today our teacher showed us this video and I was like.. Isn't this nile red? Lol
Throwback to when we would do this for Christmas ornaments with kids in my Organic Chemistry class
I did this in AP Chem back in High School. We lined the insides of old glass coke bottles.We made these right before Christmas Break, my chemistry teacher was the best.
God,it's so nostalgic.Silver mirror test and preparing dyes was one of my fav experiments,I miss school.
VERY COOL! You should leave the silver in, coat it with something to preserve it, and sell the NileRed beakers a vases!
I love how he just admits the silver nitrate wasn't as good as he thought even though he synthesized it himself
Remember that silver is very light sensitive. Try keeping your solution in the dark as much as possible.
Nile: *makes silver nitrate*
Me: "Great, now you can shoot werewolves."
I definitely support the deduce the chemical/classic qualitative analysis you alluded to in the description.
2 Videos in a Month?!Am I in Heaven?!
I posted 4 last month! I am going to be posting at least one a week
+NileRed I did not notice the three videos about Acetaminophen/Paracetamol.
its okay :)
NileRed
Hi
Is it possible to recrystallise sodium hydroxide in air or would it just react with the co2 to form sodium carbonate?
Thanks
Probably react. Also its super hygroscopic, so it would never dry. It would probably liquify
I remember coating the insides of little test tubes this way in high school! It was part of our Christmas lab series. Super fun lab, it’s fun to see it again :-) (and in a lot more depth)
*NileRed the Science Guy !*
Jotting you down as one of the people I wish to have with me during the zombie apocalypse.
I remember doing this in highschool for chemistry. One of the most interesting reactions imo especially when i was new to chemistry
So, if a hungover cigarette smoker gets a bloody nose into Tollen's reagent will it create a silver mirror due to acetaldehyde in the blood? To my understanding smokers have higher acetaldehyde levels in the blood and the breakdown of alcohol in the human body creates acetaldehyde.
(+discorobotification) Thank you for giving me a life goal. I need to try this now.
he would fucking bleed mirrors
@@Bitzy Imagine peeing shiny liquid
I'm guessing the effect of all the other aldehydes in the blood (glucose, amino acid residues) would be much larger than the effect of the acetaldehyde. So if it would work it would probably work with anyone's blood. But I suspect the insoluble cellular material would interfere with the aggregation of the silver into a mirror.
I did this a few weeks ago!!! The silver mirror was so beautiful.
nice!
2:16 maybe there are chloride contaminations in your water or on your glassware
so the couldiness is caused by AgCl dropping out of solution
That is very possible! I forgot to mention that
Whats the purpose of it? Anti cancer?
I got loads of DBA left over from benzaldehyde tests, Ill wait for Nile's video for dibenzoylmethane!
FINALLY! AN EXPLANATION FOR MOLS!
+Mary Udomah I should do a video in general on mols and molarity. It is actually a pretty interesting topic on its own
I mean, I was an idiot and took only physics in high school, so that would be awesome for people like me XD
Again i find myself back on your channel because I need to know how to do this. How filled with glee I am that I get to see it on your 4K 60fps camera with your excellent explanations.
Im making parabolic mirrors and metal fresnel lenses for solar projects
Oh the nostalgia I wish I was back in high school chemistry 😢
Oh by the way your SO CLOSE TO 100k SUBS NILE!!!!!!
I know! I am very excited :)
NileRed Aren't we all!!!! Keep up the stunning content ☺️
It's been 3 years now heh, how's over 1mil subs?
@@kore2149 how about 2million? :))
Hehe, how about 6M ;)
This!! This wowed me when our teacher showed it to us!! I think its one of the best methods to get children to like chemistry, especially organic! This and luminol :D
Nile back then: "slap on a sticker" *applies delicately*
Nile now: "carefully" *ＥＸＴＲＥＭＥ ＶＩＯＬＥＮＣＥ*
Thumbs up for this classical technique !
Ah, i remember this on organic chemistry class :D Beautiful experiment.
This sorta stuff is why I love science
I like the idea of identifying an unknown with several classic techniques!!!! Please do that
You're so close to 100k subs! Congrats!
+TheChemistryShack thanks!
TheChemistryShack 100’000’0
2:10 - The first time I knew something in a NileRed video without it being explained to me gets prefaced with "This sounds a little bit complicated..."
I like how he’s more casual in his old videos.
Holy cow it was so satisfying to see that mirror get dissolved.
Now to Google Silver Nitride explosions
I would LOVE a series where you sherlock holmes some chemicals.
That joke was funny. Man of few words still gave me a chuckle
Just so you know, silver nitrate is often used in chloride tests. I've used it for years in my last job and that cloudy white color as you're trying to dissolve the solution is exactly what a positive indication looks like.
TL:DR; if your silver nitrate isn't pure and is contaminated with chlorine (say from sea water), then the silver will combine with it to form silver chloride and that is most likely what you're seeing there.
In our school in organic chemistry we make Tollen's reagens a little bit different. In a test tube we add about 1 mL of AgNO3(aq) then we add a drop of NaOH(aq) to for a dark brown precipitate and then we add as much aqueous ammonia as needed to dissolve previously formed precipitate.
Whoa throwback. My chemistry teacher did a demonstration of this and told us it was used in the past to see if a person was suffering from diabetes. Really circumvented doctors tasting the patients' urine to check if it was sweet. Shame I didn't get to keep the test tube with the mirror. Someone else got it.
I have a chemistry presentation on redox reactions. I will do the silver mirror to demonstrate an exemple of redox reaction and your video helped me a lot to write the equations and to determine a protocol, thank you. I hope I will be allowed to bring the silver flask home !
did it go well?
In middle school, we made Christmas tree decorations with test tubes. We heated them up with a burner, it had a cork and a strae in it so we could blow it in the shape we liked and then fill them with that silver stuff.
We did this experiment in AP Chem in high school. It was super cool to turn test tubes into mirrors
You're definitely showing the value of setting up the apparatus before preparing the reagent in this video, thanks!
I made this in my chemistry lab on a test tube and the test tube was so pretty I took it home:D
Changing of colours while mixing different chemicals by shaking the flask....is really fascinating for those who haven't even done a single experiment till now....🙂
And I'm one of them....😔
When NileRed videos are unknowingly helpful in my chemistry studies😌 Btw keep it up...
Caffeine total synthesis, I've been waiting for ever.
Please
+Humberto Castro haha it will still be a little while. I need to get a few chemicals before I start
"I wanted to keep my flask"
also nile "I had to break all my beakers"
I think the cloudiness you see on adding Silver Nitrate to water is actually Silver Chloride and other Silver salts precipitation out due to double displacement. With the exception of Nitrates, most silver salts have pretty low solubility in water. This would happen if the water you used has any contaminants.
I agree. I did this at home using analytical grade silver nitrate and got a precipitate on dissolving in tap water.
Best experiment yet
I did it at home. Solution got to warm. Accidently made silver azide which exploded right into my face.
Man! It was a pretty wild day with no serious consequences.
I got some NaOH in my eye and I can say one thing: The first aid eyewash I got saved my eye sight! I reached it in under 10 seconds.
Therefore: Be prepared for the worse (not only in this experiment) and know where the safety facilities are in your lab. Because if you got something in both eyes you have to be able to find it without any vision! Same goes for fire extinguishers and other things!
Now I stay with Fehling ;) Works fine and is less dangerous (if I dont use NIRS)
hay quá Phúc ơi, nổi cả da gà luôn nè, thấm vào từng mạch máu
All jokes aside, NileRed is SHREDDED. Can u make a video on ur workout routine and diet pleaseeee?
shredded ? ever heard about Zyzz ?
He makes his own gear...
Thanks. I appreciate the demo at the end of the video too! Liked
When attempting this process, it's important not to accidentally make a silver colloid.
Colloidal silver is not dangerous per se but its presence can be sensed by nearby flocks of suburban moms, who will attempt to take it to give to their young.
New game: Every time he says Tollen's reagent, take a shot.
Mudkip909 so pretty much, by the end of the video, we all are going to be puking our guts out. XD
I've still got the test tube with my silver mirror from school
After learning about the "ANDEHIT-XeTON" I finally understand this video clearly.
We use Tollens reagent in a level chemistry in Britain
Another affordable method of identifying aldehydes is the Schiff reagent. I worked with this reagent quite a bit and it works very well.
Since subbing to this channel I've been getting Mass Spectrometer adverts. Google must think I do this in my spare time 😂
this is why good education is important, everyone watching can think of millions uses and products that can be made from that reaction. imagine that you already knew that reaction, you could have already been busy making and selling Christmas tree bulbs instead of being the one buying them.
Are there any other mirror reactions that plate out different metals, like tin, copper, aluminium, iron, etc? It would be cool to see any that exist. Great video, cheers.
we do this in our chemistry lab, its one of my favorite experiments
I did the tollens reaction in A level chemistry. One of my favourite experiments
that turned out amazing
Thank you so much for your time and effort. This is really amazing stuff
How many years' bad luck is it to dissolve a mirror? 🤣 Thanks for these amazing videos. I never took Chem in high school or college, which I deeply regret. This stuff is amazing.
My Chemistry teacher had everyone that had an A in the class do this demo. Called it the Silver Test Tube Award.
cool!
5:04 So Nile indirectly told us how to make sensitive contact detinated explosives? Based.
We did this in second year labs! ❤️
While i was doing chemical reaction for testing presence of protein, i came across with tollen's reagent and made myself a mirror.
If you ever get a chance, you should look at the Molisch test. It's very nice if you get it working. In a way, it's complementary as it detects all carbohydrates. Great vid as always.
Cool, ill look into it?
Formic acid indeed contains an aldehyde group.
I remember many years ago I made a similar silver bottle but I definitely did not use glucose or ammonium nitrate.
It was a very simple process. I recall a blue fluid I used, most likely silver nitrate.
Wish I knew what I did, any video you see on youtube uses similar a method as yours.
I love your videos! Have you ever considered doing the Fischer Indole synthesis?
I actually did it to make Skatole.
nice a mirror, nice to see you
+HYEOL oh hey there
I did this in my chemistry class and it s really fun to make
Could you possibly do a tour of the lab you work in? It's interesting to see the shelves of stuff in the reflection but a small tour would be alot more interesting :D. Just a suggestion, and also, this reaction is kinda pretty..
There is like no space in my work area, haha. It is terrible. I plan to get a proper lab setup going soon though. Ill do a tour of that once i get it going
First of all don't feel obligated to reply. Second oh my God you responded to me and I admire you so much. I'm only in high school but I aspire to be a chemist of sorts, and you're one of my biggest inspirations. Thank you, and good luck setting up the lab!
NR, at what point did alchemy begin to be chemistry? What made the difference? I really enjoy your work. I'm 62 (retired) and I'm doing this on my own. Only dabbling, really. I just learned how to balance simple equations and I'm reading on Wikipedia. If you don't have time to answer or it's a waste of your time, I understand. Do you have a book you might recommend? Thanks again. You really are one of the best creators on YT.
I studied this test when I was in high school also did this in chemistry laboratory but this is so cool
I always do my silver mirrors with random amounts of pure silver nitrate and concentrated ammonia, sodium hydroxide and glucose solutions....
And just dump the rest in our acid waste^^ works perfectly everytime.
Fun fact:
Silver nitrate, ammonia, and sodium hydroxide can also react to form the INCREDIBLY unstable and dangerous high explosive fulminating silver or silver nitride. You can see the properties of this chemical on Explosions and Fire’s video on “fulminating gold”
Wow we just studied this in chemistry class in chapter Carbonyl Compounds about Tollens test with aldehydes and ketones.