What would happen if gummy bears met potassium chloride?

Gummy Bears

 Potassium chlorate

Well today we have an interesting experiment which is kind of "burn" the lab. Do not worry. The lab still there but it is in such a mess. Carbon dioxide gas here and there!

Today, those Form 1 till Form 5 members were joining us. We have a combined session for this experiment. Besides carrying out the experiment, we also have the responsibilities to take care of those small kids~ Members are grouped into 3 in one group. Its random combination among members.

Before we start doing anything

Lets us don't waste out time. Lets get started! 

Apparatus and materials that is needed:

-GUMMY BEARS (our main material. Not for us to eat)

-Potassium chlorate, KClO3

-Boiling tube

-Retort stand and clamp

-Bunsen burner

Two spoon of potassium chlorate is put in the boiling tube. Then, the boiling tube filled with potassium chlorate is clamp to the retort stand in 45 degrees. Then it is burn using Bunsen burner to melt the potassium chlorate. 

Boiling tube clamped in 45 degrees and it is Bunsen burner used to heat the potassium chlorate

Heating is continued until the potassium chlorate turn into molten state. Then the Bunsen burner is removed and its time to put GUMMY BEAR into the molten potassium chlorate. BOOM~ reaction occur.

 And you will see this

 Gummy bear burned

 The lab which is full of carbon dioxide released by the reaction

Explanation for the experiment:

Molten potassium chlorate is a strong oxidising agent that reacts violently with sugar containing gummy bear that have a lot of sugar in them.

A gummy bear is mostly sugar, which is easily oxidised by something like molten potassium chlorate.

Overall, it is a simple oxidation and reduction

C6H12O6 + 6O2 ---> 6CO2 + 6H2O

Carbon goes from an oxidation state of zero to +4 while oxygen O2 is reduced from zero to an oxidation state of -2. 

When heated, potassium chlorate break up to form potassium chloride and oxygen.

2KClO3 (s) ----> 2KCl (s) + 3O2 (g)

When mixed with sucrose, it causes the oxidation and reduction reaction that release carbon dioxide and water while precipitating potassium chloride salt.

C12H22O11 (s) + 3O2 (g) ---> 9C (s) +3CO2 (g) +11H2O (l)

That's all for the day. The lab were really filled with carbon dioxide due to the oxidation and reduction reaction. 

There will be more interesting experiments in the future. Stay tuned.

Shiuan Yih.

Sinking Smoke

This is the first experiment for 2013 which is on 17.1.2013. 

The person in-charged for today's activity is no other than our vice chairperson, Seah Wei Hon.

Do you ever see smoke sinking?  Here, take a look at it!

See. You can even pour it out like water. You have seen it so it is all? 

Nope. We are going to teach you guys how to make smoke sink! Continue reading~

Firstly, you need the main material that can create smoke which is the matches. Our main motive is to make smoke sink. So, mission cannot be completed without smoke. Now, we have matches but how to light it up? Of course we need Bunsen burner. Then we need a piece of aluminium foil to travel the smoke that will be released when we light up the matches to a container. Before we start burning the matches, the container (conical flask) is put in a refrigerator. 

This is a conical flask in case you wondering what it is

Let the walls of conical flask to be cool. While waiting it to be cool, lets prepare the matches. take around 6 matches and roll it up with aluminium foil. The end where the head of matches is places is fold. It is to make sure when we burn it, the smoke will not come out through there. Make sure there is a opening of the foil at the end with the tail of matches. 

Its time to take out the conical flask from the refrigerator. The rolled aluminium foil is out at the mouth of the conical flask. The head of the matches is facing upwards. Light up the Bunsen burner then burn the aluminium roll where the head of the matches were. Then you can see smoke coming out from the opening of the roll of aluminium foil into the conical flask. Then you can ready to pour out the smoke. It will flow like water out of the conical flask. 

You can watch the video below to get a better idea on what is happening.

Sinking smoke

So, now lets get your material and make the smoke sink!

The explanation behind this experiment:

The wall of the conical flask which is cool will cool the smoke. Therefore, make it heavier than air surrounding us. As we know cool object sinks and hot object rises. With this theory, the cool smoke sink. 

~Shiuan Yih~