Vanadium - The Chameleon Metal!

So, today I will tell you about such a metal as vanadium.
Vanadium is a transition metal that is located in the fifth group of the periodic table of chemical elements.
One of the fascinating things is that in air vanadium gets covered with a beautiful film of vanadium oxides, which gives the metal a very beautiful multicolored look.
Different colors can be seen due to the different thickness of the oxide film all around, because of that light in different areas is absorbed and reflected at different wavelengths.
Pieces of vanadium look very beautifully.
However, the oxide film on the vanadium surface can be dissolved with nitric acid, after which the silver surface of this metal can be seen.
Density wise vanadium is quite light, from a chemical point of view, this metal is very stable in air and does not react with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid.
If the non-oxidized vanadium crystals are heated in air, they will be covered with an oxide film, also giving it a multicolored appearance.
Vanadium is readily soluble in nitric acid, forming vanadyl chloride, that has a blue color, and nitric oxide. Over time, the reaction is accelerated due to the heating of the mixture and effervesces, nitrogen dioxide - a very dangerous gas - starts to escape the solution. However, the most interesting property of vanadium is that with its compounds it is possible to carry out a so-called chameleon reaction.
For this reaction, let’s take a little vanadate of ammonium, a substance used as a catalyst in organic synthesis. We’ll add 15% of hydrochloric acid to vanadate ammonium, and while vanadium oxides, the so-called polyvanadates are formed in the solution. By the way, vanadium oxide 5 is used as an effective catalyst in the production of sulfuric acid. Initially, the liquid in the test tube is green. To start the reaction, we’ll throw a few zinc granules into the test tube.
The hydrogen evolution reaction begins, in which atomic hydrogen is formed that has the ability to efficiently give back an electron and restore other compounds.
Over time, the color of the solution changes to blue, due to hydrogen restoring vanadium to oxidation state plus four. Further, the solution gradually acquires a green color due to the addition of one more electron by the vanadium atom. At the end, after some time the solution becomes violet, since vanadium has taken all the electrons from the atomic hydrogen, while restoring itself to bivalent vanadium.
I decided to conduct another experiment, where I would add an alkali, sodium hydroxide to the chloride of bivalent vanadium. I was amazed by the result, to say the least, it turned out to be some sort of cosmos within a test tube, let me go vanadium!
It looks very fascinating with macro as well. Vanadium compounds are quite toxic, but there are organisms that are practically filled with vanadium, for example, fly agarics and from the sea life - shells. Scientists are still wrecking their heads as to why in these organisms there is so much vanadium-containing protein, amavadine.
Nowadays, the metal vanadium is mainly used as a component of very strong steels.
The addition of small amounts of vanadium to steel makes it much stronger and harder, often from such steel, wrenches and surgical instruments are made.
Now you have learned a little bit more about one of the metals, if you want the series with the elements to continue, put some likes and subscribe to my channel to find a lot more new and interesting. By the way, I want to tell you that we have updated our website, which now contains the table of elements or rather is a table of elements.

With this updated design you can now conveniently and quickly view each and every video about the elements, a link to the site will be in the description.

[mikewest]

Thoisoi2: You don't post that often but the quality of your content more than makes up for it.

[michaelcore]

Vanadium is important to cell structure and many pathways in the body. It is used in the human body to help regulate blood sugar. It usually is in the form vanadyl sulfate and works synergistically with chromium by acting like insulin and enhancing the glucose receptors. FYI I have had friends that were diabetic that went on these 2 and helped lower their blood sugar and their hemoglobin A1C levels (longer term indicator of average blood sugar levels over months).

There is a component in bone as it aids in the strength and development of bone growth. There are continuing studies on potential positive benefits on cancer though more research is needed in that area.

[bsrodeos]

Best chemistry teacher! I love watching all your videos. I learn so much more than I ever did in school.

[IbnBahtuta]

I thought Caesium was cool but this is awesome. The first ever person to observe the results of the oxidization must have had a really good day. I enjoy these videos so much. Thanks for the upload :)

[Soundbar]

Thoisoi2 - Chemical Experiments! Hello there, I'm not sure if you will read this or not, but if you read this, I want you to know that I've been subscribing to your channel for almost 2 years. It's a shame that people now only looking for entertainment on youtube and not beautiful sience experiment videos like these. These videos of yours are very beautiful and full of knowledge, just a humble suggestion for you, don't be shy to ask for your subscriber's help, ask them to share your videos, ask them to tell their friends about your videos, talk to us here in comment section. Let's grow your channel. 👊

[hardikmishra]

This is an example of how Knowledge attracts wealth. I still remember when I saw his first video and hoped that this guy should be so famous that some wanna be may realise that they are wasting their time. a good video and thank you for telling us about audible as well.

[jamiehughes]

Vanadium and bismuth are some of most beautiful metals that both form their own crystalline structures and iridescent colors

[SIMKINETICS]

5:22 I love your videos! Your cat shown at the end is remarkably similar to mine, right down to the facial markings, eye color, black spot on her pink nose, asymmitries & shapes! I've read that 'Tuxedo' cats are marked with genes that are associated with high intelligence, about twice the average for cats! Anyway, they both rate 9.9 on the Meow's Cuteness Scale.

[alfascorpi]

Allways love your videos Thoisoi2! Keep up the good work! Very educational and entertaining!

[amphibiousone]

Your videos are among the best on YouTube. Thank You 😊

[thoufeek]

At 2:51 shouldn't the reacting species VO 2- be VO 2+?

[marshalllawu]

This channel rocks, I really enjoy listening & learning from this champion of the elements.

[Roq-stone]

I hope my colleagues contribute to this channel. So educational

[arcticjungle]

Vanadium is also what gives Damascus blades there intriguing lines and curves in the metal 👌

[fredwigham]

Dude, please keep doing these videos! they are awesome!

[aseprohmandarjuara]

Percobaan kimia yang mencerahkan bagi pengetahuan baru bagi kehidupan dan pendidikan yang lebih baik termasuk untuk industri ekonomi. Thank KOK=COC= Kimia on Kimia= Chemistry On Chemistry.

[shatadrumandal]

Sir, you have said that vanadium readily reacts with hno3 to form vanadyl chloride and no2.Sir, in the reactant side, there is no chlorine atom in any compound or element.
So sir, how is this chloride compound, vanadyl chloride formed?

[pantherplatform]

Use a lot of vanadium alloy wrenches and tools from zghina.

[frankium]

Awesome video, it reminds me of the chemical chameleon experiment with manganese, it has many colorful oxidation states just as vanadium does. Keep up the good work!

[enriconegro]

Very beautiful video. One more application of Vanadium: REDOX FLOW BATTERIES, that exploit the beautiful colors (er... differnt oxidation states) of vanadium... TO STORE REVERSIBLY ENERGY!