On Halloween, I always bring in the Flaming Pumpkin of Death to my chemistry classes. Not only is this an eye-catching and timely demo, it’s a great way to demonstrate the concept of surface area. The reaction is similar to what happens in a grain elevator explosion.
What’s Needed:
1 carved pumpkin, 1 lit candle, ~3 feet tubing, lycopodium powder (you can order it from Science Kit)
Here’s some video footage from today:
See Also:
1. Burning Lycopodium Powder: Simulating a Grain Elevator Explosion [Link]
2. Explosions of Lycopodium and Other Powders: Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, Volume 1. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1983, p. 103-105]
Tags: Classroom Activities, demos, halloween, Videos
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