Potassium Bromide

Discussion in 'Chemistry' started by Orleander, Nov 17, 2008.

  1. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    25,817
    I was reading about Eugene O'Neil and I read that his last wife was addicted to potassium bromide. Is that Alka-Seltzer and what would make it addictive?
     
  2. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. Roman Banned Banned

    Messages:
    11,560
    Why don't you look it up on wikipedia?
    Or do you not know how to use a search engine?
    Maybe your husband can help you, if you ask nicely.
     
  4. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    25,817
    Because maybe someone here has personal experience with the compound. Because wiki can be written by anyone. For all I know Asguard wrote it and if I believed that crap, then where would I be?
     
  6. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. Roman Banned Banned

    Messages:
    11,560
    You would value personal experience. Personal experience is pretty much the most worthless experience out there, especially when it's someone else's. Anyway, wikipedia is as reliable as any other online encyclopedia in the areas of hard science (people like asguard get the shit kicked out of them on any of the science pages there). If you still don't believe what you're reading, follow the citations at the bottom of the page, and/or use
    www.google.com to confirm what you read there.

    This is the information age. Learn to use the internet. Do your own goddamn research.
     
  8. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    25,817
    so I take it you don't know either then, right?
     
  9. leopold Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    17,455
    jeez roman, get your dick cut off or something??

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  10. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    10,296
    Sorry, meant to answer this one for you several days back but didn't have the time right then. After that, I was gone a while and forgot about it.

    Anyway, back in the late 1800s - early 1900s it was commonly used as a sedative. People who were high-strung or had difficulty sleeping would use it. Ad just as it is with many sleep-aids today, they became dependent (addicted) to it. Such was the case with his wife.

    Today, it's only medicinal application is that it's used to treat epilepsy in cats and dogs.
     
  11. MetaKron Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,502
    That actually sounds potentially valuable for humans. Trouble is it's a cheap simple substance that can't be patented.
     
  12. Trippy ALEA IACTA EST Staff Member

    Messages:
    10,890
    Incorrect.

    Go look up Condy's Crystals.
     
  13. Captain Kremmen All aboard, me Hearties! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    12,738
    It's used for Canine Epilepsy.
    (That's shaky doggies, Orleander)

    It's no longer used in human medicine because of the long time it takes to work and its nasty side effects.
    Plenty of cheap drugs are still used if they are effective. This one has long been superceded by better ones.
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2008
  14. Nasor Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    6,231
    Or maybe it's because modern drugs work better and don't have as many side effects?
     
  15. Roman Banned Banned

    Messages:
    11,560
    Nope, I looked it up on wikipedia, wondered why the hell you couldn't do the same, and told you that you were a nincompoop.
     
  16. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    25,817
    That is EXACTLY what I am doing here. I could have sworn this was part of the internet. I was raised "if you don't know, ask"
    And I have no idea what this (from wikipedia) means unless I ask someone. And if I'm a nincompoop, you are big meany fart face stupid head. :fart:

    Potassium bromide is a typical ionic salt which is fully dissociated and near pH 7 in aqueous solution. It serves as a source of bromide ions- this reaction is important for the manufacture of silver bromide for photographic film:

    KBr(aq) + AgNO3(aq) → AgBr(s) + KNO3(aq)

    Aqueous bromide Br- will also form complexes when reacted with some metal halides such as copper(II) bromide:

    2 KBr(aq) + CuBr2(aq) → K2[CuBr4](aq)

    [edit] Preparation

    A traditional method for the manufacture of KBr is the reaction of potassium carbonate with a bromide of iron, Fe3Br8, made by treating scrap iron under water with excess bromine:[citation needed]

    4 K2CO3 + Fe3Br8 → 8 KBr + Fe3O4 + 4 CO2

    [edit] Applications
     
  17. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    25,817
    so what would the side effects of being addicted to it be? You just had to take it every day or you couldn't sleep?
    and thanks ReadOnly!
     
  18. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    10,296
    Correct - after taking it for too long, they simply cannot get to sleep without it. There were several negative side effects, the ones I remember off the top of my head were increased irritability, loss of appetite, rapid mood swings and excessive weight loss.

    And you are very welcome.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

    I believe every question deserves an answer - and NOT uncalled-for rudeness!!
     
  19. Forceman May the force be with you Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    230
    All of the stated chemical reactions show how potassium bromide can react with metallic nitrates and metallic halides in the formation of a desired compound such as the complex potassium copper bromide [(more information about complexes: http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_(chemistry)
    ) it's basically an atom or molecules surrounded by 1<x or 1=x of other compounds. These compounds are linked to the central atom/molecules usually through weak bonds of the outer shells but others, as in the case of metallic complexes, can form very strong bonds that are nearly irreversible]

    Since KBr is ionic, potassium and bromine are formed through an ionic bond, in which an electron is transferred from potassium to bromine resulting in an electromagnetic (some say electrostatic; big difference) attraction between bromine and potassium: + and - attract. They're dissociated because the bond is not strong enough due to the weak van der waals forces acting between them resulting and they're distance away from each other. The pH level is a measure of its acidity or alkalinity, in which in this case, KBr is alkalinic or basic (7 or anything close to it is basic; below is acidic; nitric acid has one close to 3: very acidic!). From the pH level, one can infer that even though KBr is ionic its not that ionic and the electronegativity difference is not that big. Last but not least, its a salt because its formed by the reaction of a base and an acid and is neutral in terms of charge. K+Br-: +1-1=0. I hope that clarifies everything.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  20. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    25,817
    clear as mud. Thanks!

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!


    I'll have Roman explain it to me since he googled it in depth.
     
  21. Roman Banned Banned

    Messages:
    11,560
    Did you miss this part:
    Or what about this part:
     
  22. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    25,817
    so if I start reading something that makes absolutely no sense, I should just keep reading instead of asking?
    My way was quicker and just as informative.
     
  23. Roman Banned Banned

    Messages:
    11,560
    You seriously don't understand any of that?
     

Share This Page