Faraday's Electrochemistry: The Mysterious Nature of Oxidation

“Indeed , it is the great beauty of our science, chemistry, that advancement in it, whether in a degree great or small, instead of exhausting the subjects of research, opens the doors to further and more abundant knowledge, overflowing with beauty and utility, to those who will be at the easy personal pains of undertaking its experimental investigation.” -M. Faraday 1833 from ‘Experimental researches in electricity’
in the second part of my series exploring the early history of electrochemistry and Michael Faraday's 'Experimental Researches in Electricity' I try to build up an understanding of oxidation and reduction from the ground up by following one of Faraday's favorite methods of investigation: starting with a simple observation, and asking questions through experiments until we come to some image of what's happening.

[@MathsSciencePhilosophy]

This is how I wished chemistry should be taught. When I was in school, chemistry books would only talk in terms of electrons. Even though I knew what electrons are at that time, I did not like to start learning chemistry using the language of electrons. I wanted to know how chemists thought of discovering chemistry, not what they discovered.

[@danielpicassomunoz2752]

This is the way

[@kibnob]

If it's not taught in terms of how you know, but simply what you (are told) you know, it isn't really science, it's doctrine. Not that there isn't a place for doctrine practically speaking, but if you're giving someone an education for its own sake, they should be taught science.

[@eddieelizabethhitler3259]

You have a talent for putting the warmth back into cold hard science. It's as relaxed and aesthetically pleasing as it is informative. If "steampunk" is just brash and hollow, this must be "steamhippy" because it's calm and fulfilling!

[@fraserbuilds]

thank you! "steamhippy" 😂 i like that! I really appreciate your insight. i think the historical approach to chemistry is often more human, because the questions scientists asked in the past were much more down to earth. science is about where we are and whats around us, I think alot of the soul of science is lost when we lose track of those first questions.

[@johnnypassion5754]

Thank you I’m 76. Years old took chemistry in college but was never shown these experiments to get real understanding

[@lindboknifeandtool]

It makes me very happy to see older folks on KZbin, commenting. I love that we can all engage here in an equal matter.

[@kibnob]

I have never seen science so faithfully representrd as a process of questioning, hypothesizing, testing, and discovering. Bravo. Even as someone who technically 'knew' all this, after watching this video I feel that I more fully understand the threads that tie it sll together. Thank you.

[@ROTALOT]

You move the viewer effortlessly from the simple to complex. Bravo.

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you!

[@TrinityCodex]

These videos make me feel like a student in ancient Egypt!

[@fraserbuilds]

thank you! thats what i strive for 😂

[@jerbear7952]

Sweaty and covered in olive oil? Me too!

[@GaiusCaligula234]

These videos make me feel like I am watching a video in the current day

[@adamgretzinger963]

Mystery school

[@harpo5420]

That'll be the mushrooms

[@leoisaweirdo]

NileRed's lawful-good brother

[@1000REMBOY]

I likened him more to a less chaotic styropyro

[@xact.toeblades]

Dude .... film everything you do.. youre going to be a huge success.. brilliant videos brilliant concepts. Absolutely 💯

[@fraserbuilds]

thanks! I seriously appreciate the encouragement!

[@shedactivist]

Fascinating and brilliantly presented. I love your unique take on the past scientific discoveries and how you bring them to life here and now.

[@fraserbuilds]

thank you!

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

Great video as always! I know how you feel about electrochemistry, it's a DEEP rabbit hole and is the closest thing to magic that actually exists. It can be ridiculously complex too.

[@fraserbuilds]

it can be so complicated😭 im definitely getting used to realizing how wrong all of my presumptions are about the way nature works 😂 I tried my best to avoid inaccuracies in the video but im still sure i made a few errors

[@darkmetaOFFICIAL]

yes it's very shocking

[@agritech802]

This is a great way to teach electrochemistry, that you 👍

[@TheIntermont]

With your hand-made equipment and teaching style based directly on the work of great scientists you could easily leverage this into a teaching career. But perhaps not in conventional academia.

[@fraserbuilds]

thank you! my hope is to continuously improve the educational value of my projects, I've learned alot in doing them, and my goal will always be to share that in one form or another!

[@swampsidechronicles5822]

My work is piping systems and there this topic is really critical. Thank you for this!

[@smileybrick9792]

I love your work you are a true chemist following there foot steps this should be though in university.

[@lautaromorales2903]

Excelent video about my favourite field of chemistry! glad i subscribed to this channel

[@vedritmathias9193]

Neat video, but I'm curious about something unrelated: Where are you from, that many of your "o" sounds become "u"? "More" turned into "mur", "born" to "burn", but "or" stayed "or"

[@anneliesejoy]

Lmao I was thinking the same thing. I keep hearing mur not more

[@theauroradragon8410]

​@vedrimathias9193 i believe he responded to comments in another video that his pronunciation difference is due to a speech impediment

[@FacundoColombier]

this video is a piece of art, just like your tools and apparatuses, glad to learn and enjoy at the same time, keep them coming!

[@davidpatriot1082]

kiddo, youre doing great work. I could watch and listen for hours youre a brilliant young man by the sound of your voice. Love seeing these things youre working on. Thank you for making these videos

[@justaleonard1606]

Thank you very much. I have seen all your videos that are available. Please make more!

[@fraserbuilds]

thank you! will do :)

[@brianevans5616]

First video I've seen of yours and WOW oh WOW. Beautiful, just amazing. Well done.

[@vili-tilling]

Thank you for the time spent on making the video. While watching I have noticed that in the beginning you had shown magnesium and water without any electrical wiring attached, it caught my attention because the nature of the metal giving off a reaction which is very interesting, it's like a dry seed absorbing water and breathing.

[@BERNARDGET1]

Excellent video! I wish you had more viewers! Thanks a lot

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you!

[@robinhooper7702]

Subbed. You re-sparked my interest in Nomenclature, micro and the macro existence, and other natural processes. Thank You, young man. Our fore-fathers knew much. Keep up the initial apatite for knowledge. Your interpretation is inspiring. As we all know energy cannot be created or destroyed, it only changes state. Beautiful presentation of our natural sciences.

[@PlayNowWorkLater]

The quality of your videos has grown so much! Always enjoy watching your content. Nice to see you continue to release quality content and grow as a content creator. Keep up the great work!

[@ldeg9876]

wonderful video. I especially like the last part with the 2 beakers of sodium sulfate solution. So the negative pole is producing H2 gas and the positive pole is producing O2 gas. Cool stuff.

[@vedwards5027]

The BEST video I have ever seen on this topic!!! You’re not just good, you’re the best at this…thank you for contributing your talent for everyone with internet to share and grow intellectually.

[@timnizle1]

Excellent, could definitely watch longer talks. Great demonstrations and explanations 👌🙏 Making all your own kit too .... awesome

[@joephillips8817]

Awesome video dude! Ty for the quality and str8 foreward/ no bullshttn informative content!! Stoked to have found your channel!!❤

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you!

[@Finding_Arcadia]

Do I understand everything that's happening? Absolutely not, but you explain it very well lmao! Really getting me interested in chemistry in general

[@eddieelizabethhitler3259]

It's not just the quality of the explanation, but the warmth of handcrafting beautiful apparatus to demonstrate the explanations that Impresses me. It's like it's putting a "soul" into cold science!

[@chiaraoneill2050]

love your content!! I've never been so invested in rust.

[@seyer-leinadodnavo4250]

This is my first video I watched from you and I noticed that 3 minutes after I started the video I wasn’t able to stop watching and I started to question myself why? The answer is the narrative is very organic that it’s basically pull me into the video to focus all my attention to the information that is being presented. Thank you for such valuable insight.

[@petrkalina2032]

I just recently found this channel and every video I watched since has been gold. Thanks and keep up the good work

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you!

[@xsirfr1958]

You're an amazingly talented craftsman, scientist, historian and teacher! Really enjoyed this video.

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you so much! glad you enjoyed :)

[@eve_squared]

I want to try and recreate some of these smaller projects, some of them are so simple like the oil lamp blowtorch that I'd be able to have loads of fun with.

[@Bunker278]

Your woodworking skills are amazing. Instead of quick and dirty test gear, you go the extra distance with something that looks good, as well.

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you!

[@hootiebubbabuddhabelly]

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing this and all of your videos. Your videos are like conversations in which I don't have to talk, LOL! A question comes to mind and - abracadabra - you answer it!!

[@fraserbuilds]

hearing that makes me happy! i was hoping it would be a logical flow of thought

[@alexpower9423]

Love your video, great delivery. I might look at popping some spaces between sentences on occasion, to give some breathing room between thoughts though! Overall, awesome work.

[@danielking7988]

bravo 👏 first time seeing your videos. i’m hooked. you’re an incredible teacher and the devices you construct are beautiful

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you!

[@davidwatson3921]

I worked for a company that produced ozone cells. Ozone has the effect of oxidation on material that it comes into contact with. The cells that this company built were used in purification of water and ozone rich water to clean fruit and vegetables.

[@uploadJ]

Activation energy reduced case of in the case of ozone (O3) vs using O2 molecule I'm surmising.

[@zekehansen8675]

Love this video, these experiments helped solidify some chemistry knowledge I already had!

[@luisuriashermosillo6804]

Excellent!! Clear real life explanations, exploring what happens in real worlds, nature, and its possible direct use to create new Natural works. It is the research we need to understand a lot of ancient still not understood works, thay we coulf still use and produce, in cheaper direct more efficient ways than many modern works with petrolwum for instance. T understand geoplymers and "stone" materials. Is urgent to research and recreaten possible old technics, not only in Egypt but Ancient America. Ive been trying to interest advanced physics academics, but they still dont see the strange facts all around, here in old Mexico. Your work is excellent and it will be fantastic if you go into old possible proceedings, for instance the producing and uses of lime. Recently, some people discovered the excellent making and use of what is called Roman cement or concrete. 👌🏻🙏🤗

[@jeemonee3915]

Great job, thoroughly enjoyed it!

[@tylerlangridge6641]

Wow, I love your videos they keep getting better, I hope you keep up the grate work this is so interesting!

[@fraserbuilds]

thanks!

[@daniel.dearaujo]

Really nice video! I like the feeling of discovering through experimentation! Thanks 😄

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you!

[@lindboknifeandtool]

Bonus points for using an oxidized finish on the wood..

[@fraserbuilds]

I was hoping someone would catch that!

[@stimpyfeelinit]

that ph indicator experiment was very cool

[@ruperterskin2117]

Cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@tfairfield42]

Awesome project, your narration is very pleasant as well

[@TravisTellsTruths]

Man, that was awesome 👌

[@ptowntravis]

Thanks alot good sir....this is good stuff!!!

[@ferverrel5519]

Love this man keep up the awesome videos

[@thomasvanwyk]

Amazing job well done how are you

[@fraserbuilds]

thanks! not too bad :)

[@T8ersalad]

Well done!

[@dicedoomkid]

Bro you dudes need to like this mans video! I’ve learned a bunch of cool stuff 👌🏼

[@dusandragovic09srb]

"Quantum" Mechanics - REAL EXPLAINATION: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bna4qpJuZ652nrs

[@ARandomTroll]

I love how you talk like some old (al)chemist's manuscript. also more electrolysis (yay)

[@shadowpapito]

Excellent

[@dananorth895]

I don't know about egypt...that's all speculation. But the battery pile existed 80 yrs before there was anything to plug it into! During that time people were hooking up frogs, arms and various nerves. They were also discovering new gasses and elements and chemical processes. Electricity was a major boon to science, particularly chemistry and physics.

[@ColoradoMiningHistory]

Incredible!

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you!

[@allynboice]

Skilled on multiple levels

[@freemanrader75]

Ah a fellow electro-chemist! Liked and Subscribed! 🎉

[@procactus9109]

Awesome video

[@liledw13]

This video earned a subscribe from me.. Great work!

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you!

[@Max_Chooch]

I like the esthetics of your creations

[@JoshuaEnglishGoodstart-yp1tu]

Volta got the idea for the voltaic pile from the `torpedo fish` They give an electric shock, and when cut open they reveal a stack of cells creating an electrical potential difference,

[@JoaoMendes-im5qr]

Good job

[@patrickedgmon7988]

Beautiful presentation. You lost me on several occasions. It may be helpful to show animated drawings that show what you mean also.

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you! thats a great idea

[@mrchapin94]

I think that this channel is going to make me a ancient mad scientist

[@------country-boy-------]

Fun tip: popsicle sticks can be used as low tech ph strips. Hydroxide turns wood darker and acid turns wood lighter.

[@damianwebzyx6613]

The most aesthetic battery, I’ve ever seen ..

[@benmcreynolds8581]

I see the so called "crisis in cosmology" but it's these properties with-in nature like the electromagnetic/electrical fields that fuel so much optimism with-in me that we will figure these things out soon. There are scales in our universe that are so immense, it's understandable if we can barely grasp them. Dynamic chaotic systems are hard for our simulations to comprehend. Especially vast systems. What if at those immense scales, we don't yet fully grasp how things fully work? Like density, friction, Electromagnetism, static charges, fluid dynamics, temperature, pressure, radiation, velocity, gravity, etc. *I think there is a lot left to learn about these behaviors on VAST scales throughout our cosmos? Especially when talking about scales of galactic filaments, multiple galaxies interacting, and many many more types of cosmic bodies & structures. We are getting better & better at certain things but some things are just so vast that it's understandable if we don't fully grasp them yet. I'm curious to see where things go as we advance our ability to measure & comprehend these things. Not just on large scales but the extremely small scale as well. When it comes down to our simulations, the smallest changes in our measurements can change so much. I just hope we figure certain things out with-in my lifetime. I'm really curious where future discoveries will lead us. My gut feeling tells me the answers are much more in our face than anyone truly recognizes.. Nature has a way of finding unique ways it likes to function and then once we learn that, we end up seeing Nature uses these processes in multiple ways across the universe. Regardless if we solve certain unanswered questions or not? I'll definitely at least continue to enjoy learning how Nature functions.

[@luisuriashermosillo6804]

👌🏻🙏🤗

[@someguydino6770]

The science is well explained and interesting ; yet I am perplexed by the narrator's vowel changes

[@M1sc3]

Muito interessantes seus vídeos, assisti vários e me impressiono como tecnologias tão simples hoje e que já foram o estado da arte a centenas ou milhares de anos continuam tendo alguma utilidade.

[@c62west]

Thanks!

[@fraserbuilds]

Thank you so much! your generosity is greatly appreciated!

[@LiborTinka]

I've recently studied old chemistry textbooks that included electrochemical reduction of oxalic acid to glyoxylic and glyoclic acids by magnesium. It fascinated me because carboxylic acids are very hard to reduce and forcing conditions lead to either decarboxylation or reduction to alcohol rather than aldehyde. Yet, the reaction worked but I still don't understand why. There were several tricks like using cold saturated solution (minimizing dissociation and effects from water, maximizing C=O bond polarity, strenghtening hydrogen bonds between the carboxylic acid and water). Finally, the choice of metal is not random. Magnesium(II) is a tiny ion forming very strong bonds with oxygen with low metal-oxygen distances - it actually stabilized ATP in the body to be utilized for energy. Finally, the product dimerizes due to lack of water, making it more resistant to further reduction. After removing the unreacted metal and doing acid hydrolysis, I really got solution of oxoacetic acid (glyoxylic a.) - this oxoacid is very useful in organic chemistry, e.g. for making mandelic acid, vanillin, benzaldehyde and similar products.

[@Eaglepass]

Water bond angle 114. deceleration curve stability. Most common water sources are q112 decayed carbon exchange diffusion rates.

[@Qeswara]

Thanks, amazing video, especially with the forest scenes. But isn't lead toxic?

[@fraserbuilds]

thanks! lead is very toxic, though I dont recall mentioning lead in this video

[@Eaglepass]

Got it makes sense as another probable and for the just rustic sample observation. An increase pollution rate-inflation of interest change is brite-orange-red. My iron works instalation test of time ornamentals have changed patinas coloration. Even my mailbox is a 4cyclinder sears flathead. Hand cranking and no I'm not updating it. ... Mr. Magneto is on the endangered list. Enjoyed your vid award winning some day is always possible.

[@gfr2023]

a piece of iron sitting or partially buried on the ground acts as a shorted battery... my chemistry professor always said that "rusting of metal" is an electrochemistry phenomena.

[@taliaeategg2027]

You are amazing

[@phobosmoon4643]

wow nice thanks

[@sacriptex5870]

Faraday become my role model as human being since i read his biography when i was 11.

[@schmarpsywinkleurnklabean659]

Here's an idea: Measure the intensity of Earth's magnetic field using only a D.C. power source, an ammeter, a switch, a resistor/load, a long wire and a compass placed at varying distances from said wire. I did this as a science fair experiment with my son in his middle school. Measuring the distance turned out to be the crucial, most difficult step. Reference the Biot-Savart law applied to an infinitely long, infinitely thin D.C. current-carrying wire. 😉

[@CatboyChemicalSociety]

Electrochemistry is the best kind of chemistry nyuhh

[@fraserbuilds]

your channel is awesome I can tell im gonna have to binge some of your videos 😂

[@samyoungblood3740]

The Pyramid seems like it could easily be some type of electrical machine similar to this!! The water under it.. the stones used.. all the things removed from it long ago..

[@user-zc8mk7mm7w]

19:30 you said the solution spilled from containers? Meaning you spilled or on its own like not necessarily something that boiled over but during the process and open top there was a reaction? Or does this have helium type properties during experiments that turn to liquid and can move through the glass like a condensation process? Or

[@fraserbuilds]

it didnt boil over or pass through the glass or anything, If I remember correctly the spill was just some drips from pulling the electrodes and wick in and out as I was setting it up

[@Alkimi]

Very well done 👏 For a minute, I thought you were messing with me with the way you pronounce the open vowel in the words 'more', 'born', 'for', 'form', 'shorting', 'explore', and 'normal' in contrast to the way you pronounce it in the words 'going', 'broken', 'most', 'donate', 'electrode', 'volt', 'only', 'low', 'sodium', and 'noble'. But the consistency of speech patterns then made me suspect A.I. 🤯 I'd love to know the answer, because my curiosity is as strong as a team of Oxen 😉 Either way, well done! 👌

[@fraserbuilds]

its my real voice! I just have a speech impediment that softens the "or" sound :)

[@douglasharley2440]

*this dude is a modern renaissance man.*

[@calchemist21]

Using a positive electrode potential metal and a negative one. Aluminium and graphite rod work well. Zinc and copper. Basically the greater differential between the two the greater energy potential

[@uploadJ]

Well, water can be had from air, from the atmosphere, in the form of condensed water vapor that is ever-present ... what may have to take place is, a dew point above that of the temperature of the iron object, in which case WV will condense on the iron body ... this can occur during radiative cooling at night, for instance.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

6:12 "this mystery gas raises a lot of questions" been there 😅

[@teresashinkansen9402]

For the full IIX century theme your devices should be made of mostly: Wood, brass, glass, Asbestos, platinum, mercury, leather, ivory, whale oil. As a kid I was so puzzled at how they could use so generously and seemingly in almost any experimental device copious amounts of mercury and platinum, also ivory and whale oil, things that never had seen in my life up to that time (only knew mercury due broken thermometers) and in my mind ivory and whale oil being from rare animals so how could they get such things? Forward many years later I know they used that because it was the best available at the time and it was actually cutting edge research what they were doing so they invested quite some money procuring those precious metals and expensive construction materials to do their research. Still to date I never have seen whale oil only ivory in a old pool ball. I love the aesthetics and science of that era though not so much their ethics with animals. Edit: forgot to add Asbestos and a suggestion, you can use smaller electrodes on your electrolysis demo at 16:49 higher current density would make them bubble more even if they actually produce almost the same amount of gas, easier to show in camera.

[@ryanbeard1119]

Can you explain the science behind metal plating

[@Davidsavage8008]

🎉 iron crystals ARE very square. Many 90 degree corners and corners are points of initial decay by heat / energy. Making corrosion easier.

[@Davidsavage8008]

I like his videos.

[@nebulysses7124]

I can't wait to watch some "murr" of your videos. Lol just joking with you. But seriously, very interesting video. Informative, entertaining, detailed, and well put together. I'll have to watch some of your other videos when I get a chance.

[@user-if1ly5sn5f]

Metal and oxygen don’t mix at low humidity. The metals magnetic field or electricity is a catalyst and moister is a bridge, more moisture, better flow. My assumption anyways from the things I’ve learned. Could be just jumping the earths magnetic energy contained within the field to a smaller field which would be the metal rod and then that would be an exciter for the chemical reaction using water as a sort of medium or bridge with oxygen and changing the combo into another thing or group of things. Like eating food and taking things out while excreting the things we don’t connect with.

[@tettettettettet]

Maybe I’m being pedantic but I’m only a first year chemistry student so I’m genuinely curious. In 10:36 he says water transforms into H and OH- but wouldn’t it be a proton (H+) instead? Or 2 H2O transforming into one Hydronium and hydroxide ion?

[@fraserbuilds]

Great question! whats being formed in the reaction is actually two hydroxide anions for every one hydrogen diatom(Mg + 2H2O -> Mg(OH)2 + H2). I think I accidentally made the slide a little misleading because I simplified the formula to being about 1 water molecule, but obviously that wrecks a little havoc with the hydrogen diatom. However it is hydrogen being formed, instead of an ion or a proton, because what we're seeing is a proton from the water being reduced to the neutral state by the electron it recieves from the magnesium. the magnesium's electrons are literally bubbling out of solution affixed to the hydrogen gas. (A proton and a hydroxide ion have the same number of electrons as a water molecule, however a hydrogen atom and a hydroxide ion have one more electron than a water molecule) That flow of electrons from the magnesium metal to the hydrogen in the water is the electricity the battery produces.

[@squigglesmcjr199]

Man this channel is fkin cool af

[@darkmetaOFFICIAL]

keeping a close ion this channel 😂

[@dadsonworldwide3238]

Orientation and direction is such a big deal When you think Emerging energetic actors indirect lines of detection measured are definable once you know all the critical extreme states then you won't get confused by Newton human dashboard hierarchy knowledge of Good and evil equations. Man made time is a wonderful tool along with x,y,z but for some reason our curriculum keeps us in our original orientation and direction with form & shape plus evolutionary deep time. Outside of life to scale atoms & elements are very intuitive even though we are deaf dumb and blind of what's there but the good Ole taste & smell comes on line early with our gut feeling.

[@selkirkwildlife9426]

Great video. btw -- Your speech and phrasings sounds a bit like Styropyro.

[@dananorth895]

And don't forget Mary Shellies futuristic dystopian science thriller "Frankenstein".