Chemical garden Chemical garden A chemical garden is an experiment in chemistry usually performed by adding metal salts such as copper sulfate or cobalt(II) chloride to an aqueous solution of sodium silicate (otherwise known as waterglass). This results in growth of plant-like forms in minutes to hours. The chemical garden was first observed and described by Johann Rudolf Glauber in 1646. In its original form, the chemical garden involved the introduction of ferrous chloride (FeCl) crystals into a solution of potassium silicate (KSiO). The chemical garden relies on most transition metal silicates being insoluble in water and coloured. A metal salt such
Cobalt(III) hydroxide Cobalt(III) hydroxide Cobalt(III) hydroxide or cobaltic hydroxide is a chemical compound with formula or . It is an ionic compound, with trivalent cobalt cations and hydroxyl anions . The compound is known in two structurally different forms, "brownish-black" and "green". The brownish-black form is a stable solid and can be prepared by reaction of water solutions of cobalt(II) chloride and sodium hydroxide, followed by oxidation with ozone. The green form, formerly thought to be cobalt(II) peroxide, apparently requires carbon dioxide as a catalyst. It can be prepared by adding hydrogen peroxide to a solution of cobalt(II) chloride in 96% ethanol