The Periodic Table

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01:00

Q: Boiling sodium hydroxide in stainless steel cup: Solution turning to a blue color

I boiled highly concentrated sodium hydroxide in a stainless steel cup. This created a blackish layer on the bottom of the cup and turned the colour of the sodium hydroxide solution to blueish. Am I right to assume that there was some oxidation happening at the surface of steel? Are any oxides of...

Nike Dattani

01:48

@andselisk here the user later admitted that this sock was theirs, but in general, wouldn't it violate the mod agreement to tell everyone that you're sure that's his sock, since knowing that would require you to look at PII? (I'm just a curious non-mod trying to learn a bit!). Also, when a user with enough rep to make edits creates a sock, would the sock not need to gain rep via writing questions and answers rather than editing questions, since gaining rep from edits seems to have two issues:

(1) it creates unnecessary extra work for reviewers

(2) it artificially inflates the total rep of the user's cumulative collection of accounts. Socks aren't supposed to be used to circumvent doing something that you wouldn't be able ordinarily able to do (in this case: gaining rep from making edits after you've already reached a high enough rep). My impression was that socks are used more for anonymity purposes.

And to run bots!

1 hour later…

Hot nitric acid (HNQ)

03:07

Q: Dilemma in formula for dipole-dipole interaction energy

I came across two formulae for dipole-dipole interaction energies on Chemistry LibreTexts — Dipole-Dipole Interactions: $$V=-\frac{2\mu_1 \mu_2}{4\pi\epsilon_0r^3}\tag{3}$$ and $$V=-\frac{2\mu^2_\ce{A}\mu^2_\ce{B}}{3{(4\pi\epsilon_0)}^2r^6}\frac{1}{k_\mathrm{B}T}\tag{7}$$ Which of the above t...

physical-chemistry intermolecular-forces dipole

andselisk

03:42

@NikeDattani Mods have access to some level of PII, and the primary reason we are allowed to do so is exactly what I used it for: identifying sockpuppets. We are not allowed to discuss the tools used for identification, and, of course, reveal PII anywhere. Relevant Meta post: Exactly which users PII do moderators have access to?.

As for claimed sockpuppeting, technically users are allowed to have more than one account as long as they are not abusing their other account(s) by cross-voting, spam, bot activity and so on (see Jeff's answer on main Meta). I guess we will have to keep an eye on Safdar's sock activity from now on. I still have no idea what was/is the point of creating a sock, but as long it doesn't violate terms of service, there is not much mods can or should do.

Safdar Faisal

04:23

@NikeDattani I don't plan on using the sock puppet for anything other than what it was meant to be used for. posting on meta which just needs 5 rep. I understand the extra work it takes for reviewers but as long as I don't personally review these posts (and I won't have to since I have the amount of rep I need) and act in conflict of interest. I edit heavily on this account and have no plan to continue using the sock for now.

2 hours later…

Safdar Faisal

06:30

@andselisk why not open this question?

-1

Q: Why is osmium (VIII ) oxide so toxic?

Osmium (VIII) oxide or osmium tetroxide is a volatile chemical compound with the formula of $\ce{OsO4}$.It is highly toxic for supposedly irritating mucous membranes but I'm not too sure if it is that or because it is a really strong oxidizer. PubChem rates it as corrosive and highly toxic and ac...

inorganic-chemistry transition-metals toxicity

andselisk

07:19

@SafdarFaisal The question is in the reopening queue and I don't any reasons to mod-reopen it. Granted, you did stellar job with your edit trying to resurrect it, but the premise is still not quite good IMO, so I'd like to let the community decide.

2 hours later…

Faded Giant

09:06

@andselisk 🤔 Hm, since SE has cancelled my mod agreement, I am now allowed to discuss the mod tools?

andselisk

09:31

@FadedGiant You should probably consult mother Meta, not me. Alternatively, try and see what happens; I'm also curious at this point.

Hot nitric acid (HNQ)

10:20

Q: Finding the major contributing tautomer of the following heterocycle

I am having a problem generating correct tautomer for this heterocycle, i am told by my collaborator that the one i am generating is wrong. I am not able to figure out why the structure below is the wrong tautomer.

organic-chemistry heterocyclic-compounds aromaticity tautomer

Safdar Faisal

10:45

Q: Finding the major contributing tautomer of 1-(propan-2-yl)-1,2,3,5-tetrahydro-6H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-6-one

I am having a problem generating the correct tautomer for 1-(propan-2-yl)-1,2,3,5-tetrahydro-6H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-6-one. I am told by my collaborator that the one I am generating is wrong. I am not able to figure out why the structure below is the wrong tautomer.

organic-chemistry heterocyclic-compounds aromaticity tautomer

@FadedGiant, how did you get the pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-6-one?

Safdar Faisal

11:38

@NisargBhavsar these blue buttons are tags, so they redirect you to non-existant tags on the main site.

Nisarg Bhavsar

@SafdarFaisal Than what's the purpose of keeping them?

Safdar Faisal

@NisargBhavsar It's the periodic table, it's informal and is for fun.. :D

Nisarg Bhavsar

Oh so it's just cool

6 hours later…

pentavalentcarbon

17:51

The tags are a reminder of what once was.

Faded Giant

18:29

elegant tags for a more civilized age?

1 hour later…

M.A.R.

19:46

@FadedGiant I'm Ozymandias. Look at my feet. They're awesome.

1,3-feeds

19:57

Q: Someone saw a buzzword in a question title and you won't believe what happened next …

Meaningful titles are one of the pillars of a good question and answer site. In a concise fashion they introduce or even summarise what will be asked about. I personally think that these question titles ideally are also questions themselves. In conjunction with good tags (What do I need to know a...

discussion question-titles buzzwords site-cleanup

2 hours later…

Hot nitric acid (HNQ)

22:13

Q: Can anyone explain, why there are coefficients 2 in the equation for rate of change [A]?

The reaction mechanism for the decomposition of $\ce{A2}$ is thought to be: \begin{align} \ce{A2 &<=>[$k_1$][$k_1'$] A + A} & &\text{ (fast)} \\[0.2cm] \ce{A + B &<=>[$k_2$] P} & &\text{ (slow)} \end{align} The rate of formation of intermediate $\ce{A}$ is given by: \begin{align} \frac{\mathrm{d...