Sulfer HexaFluoride

**scared2mosh** · 09-07-2008, 10:23 PM

I was wonder whether this was a relatively safe gas or if it was highly poisonous. kind of a strange question, but it has some very cool properties and you can do several science experiments with it that I would like to try.

**thesteve** · 09-07-2008, 11:00 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_hexafluoride

According to that, it is non-toxic and non-flammable under normal conditions.

What about it interests you?

**slap_j** · 09-08-2008, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesteve

What about it interests you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-XbjFn3aqE

nate95366 · 09-09-2008, 03:10 PM

It's safe, but you're not going to find that it's readily available and inexpensive or anything like that.

It's typically used to do the reverse of the "inhaling the helium balloon" activity. Whereas helium (being a very low density gas) will raise the pitch of your voice, sulfur hexafluoride (being a very high density gas) will lower the pitch.

Nate

**scared2mosh** · 09-09-2008, 06:47 PM

for some reason youtube isnt working atm, but nate mentioned the one. the other was the "Invisible water" experiment. there are a few more, but I cant remember them for some reason.

do you have any Idea where it would be possible to obtain some?

**scared2mosh** · 09-09-2008, 06:58 PM

wow after reading more of that wiki article I dont plan on trying to inhale it... apparently because it displaces C02 so well your body may not realize the need to get fresh air. also because it's so heavy (like water) one can literally drown in it.

nate95366 · 09-11-2008, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scared2mosh

wow after reading more of that wiki article I dont plan on trying to inhale it... apparently because it displaces C02 so well your body may not realize the need to get fresh air. also because it's so heavy (like water) one can literally drown in it.

Everyone I've ever seen demonstrate the effect says that the above isn't a problem as long as you're not downing multiple balloons of it in a row. And even then, it's not the heaviness that's the problem, it's the CO2 sensitivity.

Nate

**scared2mosh** · 09-11-2008, 05:04 PM

so basically you dont realized that you need to breath in?

nate95366 · 09-15-2008, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mulletman

so basically you dont realized that you need to breath in?

Or, said another way, when your CO2 sensitivity is altered enough, you have to be conscious to know you have to breathe in, whereas ordinarily you'll fight for a breath even if you're not conscious.

Nate