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Help me remember an old science project

I was working with my niece on figuring out a cool science project. And I remembered one I did in High school that destroyed a penny (made the penny very thin). We soaked the penny in a substance and now I can't remember what it was. What chemical, house hold product...etc.. what will actually make a penny so thin that it can crumble. I would really want this as a project for my niece.

Diana, 24

Diana Caicedo
- Hialeah, Florida, USA
2003

I haven't done that experiment, but muriatic acid [affil links] will dissolve the zinc core of a penny, and leave behind the copper plating, as will lye (Drano [affil links]). I don't know which one will work best, but both are quite dangerous to fool around with.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

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