Ammonia Fountain
Description: The solubility of ammonia gas in water is demonstrated. A small amount of water is squirted into an inverted flask containing ammonia gas. The ammonia dissolves in water, creating a vacuum that draws in the phenolphthalein/water from below.
This demonstration is also available on video and JCE “Chemistry Comes Alive!”
Source: Shakhashiri, B.Z. Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry
Year: 1985 Vol: 2 Page: 205
Keywords: Ammonia gas, Water, Vacuum, Phenolphthalein, Solubility, Intermolecular Forces
Rating: 
Hazard: Medium
- Acute toxicity hazard – respiratory system
- Serious eye damage
- Skin corrosion hazard
- Inhalation hazard
- Aquatic toxicity hazard
- Germ cell mutagenicity
- Reproductive toxicity
- Implosion hazard
Effectiveness: Excellent
- Deeply engaging
- Time to results is low
- High reliability
- Good connection from demo to course material
- Counterintuitive effects
- Results are observable without guidance
Difficulty: Medium
- Sequential manipulations
- Some intermediate steps to results
- Use of toxic reagents
- Simple procedures
Safety Precautions:
- Eye protection required
- Gloves required
- Perform in a well-ventilated area
- Absorbent material on hand
- Sodium bicarbonate on hand
Class: Gases, Solubility, Intermolecular Forces
Division: General
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