Testing A Possible Origin To Alchemy: The Golden Rain Experiment

I've had this idea for a few years that the Golden Rain experiment (a double displacement reaction between potassium iodide and lead nitrate) might be one of the early inspirations for alchemy and the idea that lead might be transformed into gold. In this video I attempt to make all of the compounds required for this reaction from ingredients that would have been accessible in ancient history.

This video was unscripted and filmed as I made my very first attempt at testing this idea. I take a while to reach the final result but I hope you enjoy watching the process! I really want to thank my Patreon supporters for helping me to keep this channel going, especially my top patrons: Syniurge, Matthew Leitzke, & TheBackyardScientist

Thanks for watching!

[joer]

When I was in public school my teacher was talking about the periodic table and how the numbers work and atoms. I said to him, "so if you could find a way to add a proton to an element or take one away you could change it from one element to another?" Some of the kids laughed. The teacher said, "I don't know what you find so funny, that question is what led to nuclear reactors."

[OldBuford]

this is the kind of stuff that would have kept me more engaged in chemistry during my school years. just listening to someone drone on about the periodic table and writing down definitions (though important) isnt the best way to get students excited about what theyre learning. great video!

[skychaserthedragon]

Can you imagine just sitting in an early alchemist's lab, no knowledge of the periodic table or really any chemistry, just messing with random ingredients, and suddenly a bunch of gold starts floating around in a jar of what was random crap?
Wild.

[razzmatazz]

I have just read some books about the history of alchemy and the best explanation i found was that the base ore used by several alchemists (stibnite) has small amounts of dissolved gold. The alchemical process purifies and separates the gold creating a dark deposit with an upper crust of real pure gold. This seems to be the origin of the lead to gold legend. Actually no gold is created just a separation of already existing gold in the sample

[NoobNoobNews]

As a wizard, I can confirm that the king was indeed fooled by my alchemy craft.

[theelitistjerkmetalhead]

As someone speaking from the point of view of having a degree in anthropology and also an interest in chemistry as a hobby, I find this video very intriguing and entirely plausible. People were experimenting a lot back then, and it is entirely plausible that if these ingredients were available to them, then they could have come up with something like this.

[SwallowForge]

Really interesing experiment. I can see a lot of thought went into this video. I was very impressed with the results.

[CoolAsFreya]

The way he holds the beakers while talking to camera really makes it look like he's about to take a swig

[BrianFedirko]

Awesome. Great to see ancient alchemy brought to light, and to show an understanding of how chemistry and it's thinking got started. The techniques described here could have taken place far far in the past, maybe even before the smelting of copper, which is how we generally assume time periods of thought and invention. The wheel didn't even have to exist for this experimental avenue to take place. Fantastic. Keep em coming.

[MiauxCatterie]

as someone who has always had a hard time with chemistry, i found this video extremely engaging as well as easy to follow. i think that you would be excellent at teaching chemistry the way alton brown teaches food science- by getting into the details. great video, great music choice, this was exciting to watch.

[gilbet]

Love the golden snow globe and music. I bet people would really enjoy a whole video of just relaxing music and a beautiful slow-motion display at which to stare, and dream.

[Scott-vnov]

"How do you turn lead into gold?"

War. Sell lead bullets for money.

[Evanski]

Thank you for being a non click bait king of random

[scoopscience]

Wow!! This was really awesome. I was surprised how easy it was to make this reaction. I'm thinking about giving this a go myself!!

[jeffharp]

This video is old enough that you probably won't ever see this comment, but since you asked for historical ideas on it I'll continue to tell the story. I was a chemistry major in college. In Chem 1 the professor showed us a way that it was believed was used to "turn lead into gold". Remembering that during the alchemy days there were 4 elements; Wind (Air), Water, Earth, and Fire. The alchemists would experiment with combining different proportions of them to see what they made. Metals were considered an Earth element. Of course, lead was considered to be very close to gold because of it's weight. I don't remember all of the reagents the professor used, but he started with a penny because copper was also considered an Earth element and to be related to gold because of the similar color. He plated the penny with lead using an aqueous solution. Then he held it with tongs and put it into a flame. The lead and the copper slowly melted enough to make a heavy alloy that looked strikingly like gold. I believe that may have been another experiment that they believed was the transmutation of lead to gold.

[Chewyness]

Quit holding everything like you're about to drink it, you're just getting my hopes up for nothing

[harrywebb]

I think you did a job well done, i enjoy the chemistry you have when you present each procedure, its not complicated...

[MisterZealot]

12:00 I keep thinking "he's drinking it! oh no! he's drinking it!" lol

[cosmicjenny]

"After literally a countless hour searching, I finally have it! Gold, purest gold!"
"Percy... It's green."

[MemesnShet]

One of the most beautiful experiments I've ever seen wow