Giving Injury though Ignorance
I saw this image going around social networks and i am shocked on how people can think its cool to play around with people's ignorance on chemistry. I edited the image so that no one else can use it to fool people.
Case to point: mixing household bleach with ammonia.
And whoever made this image thought long and hard to make this dangerous prank attractive by letting people think they can grow crystals out of the said chemicals. It is possible to grow crystals, many books have instructions on how to make your own crystals using safe chemical reactions,
So how dangerous is this prank? The food coloring and the rock are red herrings since they are often common ingredients in crystal making (this is for aesthetic reasons since you can color crystals and sometimes make them grow over rocks). The straw is to make you come near the mixture so a maximum effect can be achieved.
If you would notice that the instructions include mixing bleach and ammonia. I'll write down a shortened explanation coming from an entry from Answers.com which states:
• If bleach and ammonia is equally mixed, you make Chlorine gas.
2(parts)NaOCl + 2NH3 --> 2NaONH3 + Cl2.
Chlorine gas is a toxic component. Although we know that chlorine in liquid form is used for water purification, in gas form it is a component often used for poison gas used since World War I. It is a corrosive agent so imagine that stuff inside your lungs.
• If there is more bleach mixed than ammonia, you make Nitrogen Trichloride.
3NaOCl + NH3 --> 3NaOH + NCl3
Nitrogen Trichloride is not only a toxic gas, its also volatile, meaning the gas can explode when exposed to heat. Imagine that while blowing bubbles with your face inches from it.
• If there is more ammonia than bleach, you make Hydrazine.
NH3 + NH2Cl + NaOH -->N2H4 + NaCl + H2O
Hydrazine is a known compound used for rocket fuel. Yes, that is the reason why astronauts tend to sit on the part of the rocket that is furthest away from the fuel. And just like Nitrogen Trichloride, its just as volatile.
So whoever thought this was funny, I do hope it wont come back to you one day and blow up in your faces. This is the Internet, 20 years from now your kid might download this and think its cool to make easy money out of growing colorful crystals.