I need help identifying a substance. In my experiment, I heated zinc an calcium carbonate to create carbon monoxide. This fed into another container with a mixture of ammonia, vinegar, salt, and water. What I was trying to accomplish was get the acetic acid (CH3COOH) to bond with the carbon monoxide to form pyruvic acid (CH3COCOOH) which in turn would bond with the ammonia (NH3) to form amino acids, which would link up and form proteins.

I ran the apparatus, and forms small, fibrous particles in the aqueous mixture. I did a biuret test on them, but I didn't get any color change. The mixture also had a fat/oil type substance on the top, and I performed a coffee filter test to see if it was lipids, but the results were negative. The mixture has a horrible hydrocarbon-like odor.

Does anyone know what this is?

Hmm...
Have you googled it?

Hm. If he came here for help, obviously HE DID.

Set it on fire and see what happens.

alpacaman wrote:(CH3COCOOH)

Coco. I like coco.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=In+my+experiment%2C+I+heated+zinc+an+calcium+carbonate+to+create+carbon+monoxide.+This+fed+into+another+container+with+a+mixture+of+ammonia%2C+vinegar%2C+salt%2C+and+water.+What+I+was+trying+to+accomplish+was+get+the+acetic+acid+(CH3COOH)+to+bond+with+the+carbon+monoxide+to+form+pyruvic+acid+(CH3COCOOH)+which+in+turn+would+bond+with+the+ammonia+(NH3)+to+form+amino+acids%2C+which+would+link+up+and+form+proteins.+

Umm.... sounds like you were creating life? NO?

It looks like you may have created a new substance. Get it tested, or even try & see what else can form around it. It sounds very complicated, I dare say it has the intricacy of DNA!

But what could this mean? A new form of life? Or am I nuts?
Still, such life would live in an acidic habitat of FAILED life molecules....... Possibly developing anti-acid properties....

Have you tried... ummm... I guess... Look, this is Science and Spore. No one here can answer those long words. I for one can't.

Spowr999 wrote:Have you tried... ummm... I guess... Look, this is Science and Spore. No one here can answer those long words. I for one can't.

Oh, give it a try. Ammonia-based lifeforms have been suggested as plausible. Maybe he's just created that.
If this happened naturally, an ammonia-based lifeform would be immersed in all the failed ammonia-based biological molecules. Reminds me of that DR.who episode 'the stones of blood'.

cpelite wrote:

Spowr999 wrote:Have you tried... ummm... I guess... Look, this is Science and Spore. No one here can answer those long words. I for one can't.

Oh, give it a try. Ammonia-based lifeforms have been suggested as plausible. Maybe he's just created that.
If this happened naturally, an ammonia-based lifeform would be immersed in all the failed ammonia-based biological molecules. Reminds me of that DR.who episode 'the stones of blood'.

OH! I get it! So if those amonia-based lifeforms could reach hypothermal activity, it could influence a chainlink of deustronomical events leading to a santrophobistic camade creating the neurochloristic substance we call Cheetos!
EUREKA!

Foedawg wrote:http://lmgtfy.com/?q=In+my+experiment%2C+I+heated+zinc+an+calcium+carbonate+to+create+carbon+monoxide.+This+fed+into+another+container+with+a+mixture+of+ammonia%2C+vinegar%2C+salt%2C+and+water.+What+I+was+trying+to+accomplish+was+get+the+acetic+acid+(CH3COOH)+to+bond+with+the+carbon+monoxide+to+form+pyruvic+acid+(CH3COCOOH)+which+in+turn+would+bond+with+the+ammonia+(NH3)+to+form+amino+acids%2C+which+would+link+up+and+form+proteins.+

Wow, I found this thread! Thanks for showing me that!

Oh, and Aaron, it isn't flammable.