Renewable Power

A sparkling newly minted penny looks very nice. Some people keep them for their coin collection. But in time, the shiny penny becomes dull and darker. Did you ever become curious as to why pennies get dark over time? Copper is the main component of pennies. When copper particles in the penny are combined with oxygen particles in the air, it creates copper oxide. Copper oxide is the cause of a dim and dirty looking penny. There is a penny cleaning process which, when implemented will unveil a new glossy layer of copper.

Vinegar and salt are needed to begin this process.  In a bowl, dissolve salt in vinegar. Stir well until the salt is totally dissolved. Put the pennies in the bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Then, take the pennies out of the bowl, rinse and dry them. Remember, one obvious sign of chemical change is the change in color. The color of the penny changes when soaked in vinegar and salt solution, which tells us that a chemical change has taken place. When mixed together salt and vinegar make a great solution for cleaning copper pennies.

Salt or sodium chloride is an important part of making a copper chloride solution. Salt divides into sodium ions and chloride ions. The chemical bond between the chloride ions and the copper ions removes the dark copper coating. An ion is an atom or a group of atoms that has acquired a net electric charge by gaining or losing one or more electrons. Using salt or vinegar on a single basis will not make a big difference in revealing the shiny layer of copper pennies, but mixing them effectively cleans pennies. Who would have ever thought that simple household ingredients you normally see in your kitchen could be so useful for penny polish?

For more great cleaning tips, visit http://www.housecleaningchecklist.ca. While you’re there, sign up for your FREE speed cleaning course.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/penny-cleaning-science-915223.html