Carbon Sugar Snake Experiment (Chemistry)

In this experiment powdered sugar and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) decompose to create a long black carbon snake. Carbon dioxide gets trapped within the carbon creating gas pockets and extending the snake longer and longer.

▶️ Get supplies for this experiment:
https://www.beardedscienceguy.com/how-to-make-sugar-snake

▶️ How to make a carbon sugar snake:
Step 1: Measure out five grams of baking soda and twenty grams of powdered sugar—really any one-to-four ratio will work.

Step 2: Mix the baking soda and powdered sugar really well. I did it in a freezer bag just to make it easier.

Step 3: On the metal pan, put a large mound of sand right in the center. I used 5-6 cups of sand in this experiment.

Step 4: Measure out 150 mL of Coleman's lantern fuel.

❗️ SAFTEY NOTE: Let's go over some safety involved. Always use a secondary glass container when working with flammable liquids, and keep your primary container far away from any source of heat or ignition. If something happens and your secondary container catches fire, you can easily put it out by smothering it out with the pot lid. However, if the primary container catches fire, it can melt, creating a huge fire and injuring people close to it.

Step 5: Pour the Coleman's lantern fuel onto the mound of sand, then place the sugar baking soda mixture in the very center of the mound.

Step 6: Double-check that you have your fire extinguisher close, light the fuel, and observe.

▶️ How the carbon sugar snake experiment works:
You'll start to see the white powder turn black and then, after a few minutes, it'll start to grow taller and taller. The way this works is that, as the baking soda and sugar decompose, carbon dioxide gas gets trapped inside pockets of the black carbon and it continues to grow taller and taller and taller. Many of the experimental procedures you find online say that you can use 91% isopropyl alcohol for this experiment. I wasn't able to get the 91% isopropyl alcohol to create a long snake. It might have something to do with the type of sand I was using or the humidity in the air.

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Видео Carbon Sugar Snake Experiment (Chemistry) канала BeardedScienceGuy