I must have been in the 8th grade. That day, in my science class, I learned that when you place a piece of zinc (or galvenized metal) into muratic acid, the byproduct is hydrogen gas (a very reactive and flamable gas). Hmmm. This to me seemed very far fethed. Was this yet another one of those urban ledgends made up by geeky science teachers to make themselves sound smart, or did this actually have some truth to it?
When I got home from school, my brother and I (we being latchkey kids ourselves) were looking for something exciting to do until mom and dad got home. I had this brilliant idea. My dad's workshop had an endless supply of galvanized nails, and having a pool, we had large quantities of muratic acid on hand.
Ahha! Surley, mom and dad would approve, I mean, after all, it was all in the name proving that science teacher right.
I grabbed an old tupperware container, a lid, a plastic straw, some nails, and the acid. I placed the acid in the container, poked a hole in the lid and slipped the straw through it. I placed a half dozen or so nails in the acid and placed the lid tight on the tupperware container. Now lets see, what was I missing...oh yeah, a fire source. You see, it was my intent to create a sort of bunsen burner if you will. The idea was to let the hydrogen gas build up until it began to shoot out of the straw, then I would simply light the straw and voila! Instant torch.
Yeah, I know, but keep in mind I was in 8th grade, a boy, and bored.
I waited a few minutes to let the gas build, lit the match and placed it at the end of the straw and waited for the jet rocket flame to emerge. I was a little aprehesive at first, stepping at arms length with the match in case the flame grew wildly out of control...nothing. I kept it there a little longer stepping closer now while my concern fadded replaced by bewilderment. Still nothing. A few extra seconds more, a few steps closer and the straw began to burn but still nothing spectacular. I turned to my brother and was about the announce this science experiment to be a complete failure, proving once again that science was a big disapointment. Ready to to back to school the next day and denouce the teachers claims and lable him a big fat lier. very idea of zinc and acid creating a flamable gas indeed.
Then I heard it. The loudest bang I had ever heard. Like a gun shot, a firework. The hydrogen gas inside the container finally lit, causing it to igniting a fairly large explosion therby blowing the lid off the container and the contents of the container everywhere within a 5 foot radius (by now I was standing well within that 5 foot radius). After I cleared my ears of the ringing sound and gathered my thoughts as to what just happened, I suddenly came to realize the burning sensation growing over the my left arm and the left side of my face. I was douced in muratic acid and it was eating me alive! Thinking quickly, I ran for the pool. Ran for the cleansing waters to wash away the acid. As I did so, there was a part of me that thought, "this was the stupidest idea I ever had." Another part of me thought, "That teacher was right...damn him!" Sill, another part thought...."success!"