Chemist Dips a Ball in Titanium Tetrachloride To Make the World's 'Smokiest' Ball
There's nothing quite as satisfying as watching chemical reactions happen. In this video by NileRed, a chemistry YouTube channel where you can see possibly the best productions, you can watch the world's smokiest ball thanks to the introduction of a chemical called titanium tetrachloride.
Sometimes called tickle or tickle 4 because of its chemical symbol, titanium tetrachloride is said to be one of the most "obnoxious" chemicals, as NileRed notes. Upon opening the bottle, titanium tetrachloride gives off a thick white haze. It is composed of hydrochloric acid and titanium oxides, and they are produced when titanium tetrachloride reacts with the oxygen and moisture in the air. Since these gases are toxic, he deals with titanium tetrachloride under a fume hood, and then covers a ping pong ball in a healthy amount of it, which makes the ball cough up smoke every time it bounces. It looks as cool as it sounds, so make sure you watch the embedded above and enjoy!