How to Make a Solution to Clean Coins — Scientific Adventures in the Kitchen

Petya and Lena often conducted experiments in the kitchen. They loved discovering how simple things could turn into something surprising. This time, their attention was drawn to some old coins they had found in their grandmother's drawer. The coins were covered in a greenish patina, and Petya looked at them with dissatisfaction.

— Do you see how dirty they are? — Petya said, pointing at the coins. — Maybe we can clean them somehow? Maybe we can restore their old shine?

Lena thought for a moment and then remembered that she had seen in a chemistry book how metal objects could be cleaned using simple chemical solutions. She quickly grabbed the book and began reading aloud:

— "To clean old coins, you can use a solution of salt and vinegar. It's a simple and safe method!"

— That's great! — Petya exclaimed. — That means we can make our own cleaning solution and give the coins their shine back!

Lena nodded and began preparing everything needed for the experiment. She placed the coins on the table and brought over a bowl for the solution, water, salt, and vinegar. Petya brought a small spoon and watched attentively as his sister prepared the ingredients.

— We take one cup of water, add one spoon of salt, and some vinegar, — Lena explained. — This will help dissolve the patina and clean the coins. And by the way, salt speeds up the process!

Lena poured water into the bowl, added salt, and stirred the mixture carefully. Then she added some vinegar and stirred again.

— There! The solution is ready! Now let's place the coins in it and see what happens, — Lena said as she gently dropped the coins into the liquid.

Petya eagerly waited to see what would happen next.

— Look! — he exclaimed after a few minutes when he noticed that the green patina was starting to dissolve. — It's dissolving! That’s so quick!

The coins gradually cleaned up, and their surfaces became shinier. Lena explained to Petya that vinegar and salt help neutralize the copper oxide that covered the old coins.

— This is chemistry, — Lena said. — Salt helps speed up the process, and vinegar dissolves the patina. Together, they make cleaning the coins very quick and effective!

Petya was thrilled. He couldn't believe that a simple mixture of water, salt, and vinegar could return the coins' shine.

— Look, Lena, this looks like magic! — Petya said, almost not believing his eyes. — Our solution worked, just like in a fairy tale!

After a while, Petya carefully took the coins out of the solution and began wiping them with a soft cloth.

— Now they really look like new! — Petya said, holding up the cleaned coin. — They shine like gold!

Lena smiled:

— See how important it is to understand how simple chemical reactions work? It's just science! We only needed a few common ingredients, and the result is amazing!

Petya was proud of having conducted this experiment and decided that next time, he would look for other chemistry experiments to try at home.

— I also want to try cleaning other things this way! Maybe I'll try cleaning an old spoon or even the coins in our chest, — Petya said.

Lena agreed:

— Great idea! Chemistry is fun and useful, and it can solve so many different problems.

The kids decided to continue their research and conduct another experiment next time. They were sure that many amazing chemistry experiments could be done in the kitchen without leaving the house.