Film soaked in hydrochloric acid

MattAttackPro is a chemistry and physics teacher in South Carolina. This is what happened when he dropped a roll of unused camera film into a container of hydrochloric acid.

What you're seeing is the plastic backing separating from the "film" from which film takes its name—a coating of multiple layers of light-sensitive salts suspended in gelatin. Yes, film is like a jello salad. And it makes for a beautiful photograph.

See the photo on Instagram

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Before the Lights Go Out, a book about electricity, infrastructure, and the future of energy. You can find Maggie on Twitter and Facebook.

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MORE: chemistry • film • nifty • photos • Science

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http://twitter.com/MrAaronSwainEsq Aaron Swain

Wow! I’m surprised that the acid strips the emulsion layer from the base so effectively. I’ll have to try this sometime…
- http://illustratorhints.com/ Jesseham
  
  I wonder what you’d end up with if you did it with exposed and developed film…
http://www.youtube.com/user/Freethinkersanon Christopher

I’d like to try this, but where do you get unused camera film these days?
- Alpacaman
  
  Most camera shops, or some drug stores or supermarkets. It is still sold in a lot of places.
  - https://plus.google.com/104067355242126774300/posts?hl=en Dennis Smith
    
    I have a very very large refrigerator, 10% drink, 5% food, 85% film. Just in case there is a shortage…… (job lot of good film is a hard purchase not to make).
Calvin Jae

“Yes, film is like a jello salad”

Giving Grant Achatz, Ferran Adria, etc., more wild ideas…
bcsizemo

I guess I’m the only one seeing a pile of tiny condoms wrapped in transparent film…
- snowmentality
  
  Nope, condoms were the first thing I saw, too…
http://illustratorhints.com/ Jesseham

‘shopped. Clearly. If he dropped the film in the acid, how did he take the picture?
http://scavenger-ethic.blogspot.com/ scav

Yay! Who *doesn’t* like playing with laboratory chemicals?

I got a nice result with red cabbage and concentrated sulphuric acid.
Not even kidding… http://scavenger-ethic.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/sulphuric-acid.html
Hugh Nohoo

I’m more amazed that they still have science teachers in South Carolina.