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Ammonia solution

physical science Maturity 5-7 Next article →

Ammonia solution is a liquid made by mixing ammonia gas into water.

Ammonia smoke
Ammonia smoke

You might know it by many names like aqueous ammonia or ammonium hydroxide. It is often just called ammonia in stores. This liquid is very useful in many parts of our lives. It can clean our homes or help make food. It even helps treat the water we drink. Scientists study it because it has a special way of reacting with other things.

When ammonia is added to water, a small thing happens. A tiny bit of the ammonia changes into ammonium and hydroxide. This makes the liquid a base, which means it has a high pH level. For example, a common solution has a pH of about 11.62. The amount of ammonia in the water can change based on heat. If the water gets warmer, the ammonia gas escapes more easily. This means the liquid holds less gas as it heats up.

People have used ammonia in many ways for a long time. In the early 1900s, it was used in special refrigerators. These used a water-ammonia system to keep food cold. One famous example was the Einstein refrigerator. In the past, bakers also used a type of ammonia to make bread rise. They called it baking ammonia and got it from deer antlers. This helped cookies and breads grow without waiting for yeast.

There are many specific facts about how we use this solution today. Household cleaners usually have between 5% and 10% ammonia by weight. Professional cleaners use much stronger mixes that are higher than 10%. In the European Union, it is known as food additive E527. It can also be used to darken wood during the Arts and Crafts movement. This happens when ammonia fumes react with the natural acids in the wood. It can even turn copper solutions a deep blue color in a lab.

Even though it is helpful, you must use ammonia solution with great care. It can be very irritating to your eyes, skin, and lungs. You should never mix ammonia with bleach. Doing this creates a toxic gas called chloramine that is dangerous to breathe. It is also important to be careful with jewelry. While it can clean gold and silver, it might hurt soft stones like pearls or opals. Always follow safety rules when using these strong liquids.

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