Which Liquids Will Tarnish a Penny Faster?

With time, some pennies start to discolor.
••• Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

Anyone who has ever held a brand-new penny sees that something changes in pennies over time. Put that coin next to a handful of old ones and the dull, tarnished color of the older pennies will be readily apparent. The tarnish is a result of oxidation, or the reaction between the copper on the outside of the penny with oxygen and sulphides.

Potassium Sulfide

Potassium sulfide dissolved in water creates a solution that puts tarnish on a penny. For every five parts water in the solution, use one part of potassium sulphide. The coins need to be only briefly dipped in the solution to start the tarnishing process. Then, if you cycle the pennies through a process where you allow them to dry then re-dip them several times, they will achieve a look that looks like natural tarnish.

Bleach

Bleach will also tarnish pennies. If you leave pennies in bleach for any amount of time, they will start to darken and turn green. On many older coins you will notice a combination of the darkening of the original bright and shiny copper color and spots of green. Bleach helps copper quickly and artificially attain those green spots and darkened tarnish. That same reaction is why the copper roofs of old buildings appear green.

Vinegar

Acid speeds up the oxidation process taking place on copper. If you submerge a penny in even a relatively mild household acid, such as vinegar, it will start to tarnish. Some people recommend the use of vinegar combined with other ingredients, such as salt, to clean pennies. Interestingly, when combined with other ingredients it can have this effect, but on its own, vinegar will tarnish pennies quickly.

Liver of Sulphur

Liver of sulphur will also create a tarnish on any copper surface, including pennies. Create a solution using approximately a half-pint of water and a half teaspoon of the powder, or a proportional larger or smaller mixture. Dip the coin into the mixture and let the liquid dry and repeat the process several times, or brush it directly onto the coin to create tarnish.

Related Articles

How to Rust a Penny
Does Lemon Juice Clean Pennies Better Than Vinegar?
Why Does Citric Acid Clean Pennies?
How to Use Vinegar & Salt to Make a Penny Disappear
Experiments With Salt and Vinegar
How to Refine a Gold Smelt
Experiments on Cleaning Pennies
What Happens When You Clean Pennies With Lemon Juice?
Coin Corrosion Science Experiments for Kids
How to Dissolve Silver
How to Make Pennies Turn From Copper to Silver to Gold
What Causes Copper to Tarnish?
The Effects of Oxidation on Copper
Why Do Pennies Corrode?
How to Anodize Copper
What Do Calcium Chloride & Baking Soda Make?
How to Make Homemade Glow Sticks
Penny Tarnish Reverse Projects
Causes of Gold Discoloration

Dont Go!

We Have More Great Sciencing Articles!