Flammable Ice Experiment

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Chemistry, Physics, Science, Reaction, Burning, Fire, Flames, Demonstrations, Demo, Ice, Beer, Fridge, Expe

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Ice is added to a dry Pyrex bowl. When the Ice melts the water reacts with the calcium carbide (place on the bottom) to produce acetylene gas and calcium hydroxide. The acetylene gas then explodes into flames when a match is place on top. It will continue to burn even as the ice melts because it keeps producing acetylene until the calcium carbide runs out.Kent

  1. By: kentchemistry.com
  2. Categories Entertainment, Science & Tech
  3. Views 84,052
  4. Added :11-Mar-07
  5. Related Link: Mr. Kent's Chemistry WebPages
Comments on Flammable Ice Experiment
Other comments on this video
  • puzzle solved

    i had posted the answer as a reply but then i realize that it could not be seen when the page is loaded so here it is again

    calcium carbide on the bottom of the pan when water is added in the form of ice, it reacts to give acetylene gas, which burns a yellow flame and leaves carbon residue same as the underwater fireworks demo

    but in this case a ignition source is need (ie match) because O2 is a weaker oxidizing agent than Cl2

    By UofTchem 1174104633
    • Does

      freezing alcohol give the same result !?

      i don't know much about chemistry but thats what i thought when i saw your post,

      good work

      By Panadoal 1233439920
    • OWEEEEEEE

      MY BRAIN HURTS

      By heavysnipe 1201387683
    • I figured this one out from the start

      in highschool, i created a torch with a beaker, funnel, water, calcium carbide, and some water...when i let the pressure build up for too long before releasing the pinch i had in the rubber line...i had an impressive 6 foot flame...which singed the roof in my science class...haha
      good times

      By chrgr739 1177441909
    • haha

      you said water twice.

      By bmoore93 1182458454
    • interesting looks like I'm not the only ...

      and to think that I would be the only one among the entertainment demanding meta users...

      By ace_wolfgang 1177317188
    • . .

      next time in engilish

      By lardcow 1177002335
    • solved???????

      Again ... kentchemistry ... Has UofTchem got it figured out? Let us know please.

      By tezterz 1174134975
    • ^NO^

      He is obviously a witch performing the black magic. Stupid.

      By SupaDoopa 1195518665
  • Easy Trick

    There is a heavy then air, flammable gas in the dish before he puts the ice in. That's why the flame heads to the bottom of the dish instead of staying on top.

    Similar to this vid
    http://www.metacafe.com/watch/385694/invisible_water/

    By Azerphel 1173472118
  • I think there may be a Group 1 metal her...

    Perhaps there are some small slices of sodium in the bottom of the DRY glass bowl. When the ice hits and begins to melt the H20 would react with the group 1 metal making a cloud of H2, but the cold temp would slow it down enough to keep the Na and cloud of Hydrogen from self-igniting right away. The match allows it to catch fire as the bowl fills with H2 gas.

    By nackjicklson 1173488938
  • Fortress

    So you can burn down the fortress of solitude

    By bigchris16 1224909168
  • or......

    it could just be frozen gasoline if that will freeze........ can it????

    By elmfuzzy 1202871067
  • Meet up with other people like you at MI

    By rivkahshowsdollw 1191476643
  • Amount?

    I know that calcium carbide is what is under the bowl, but does anyone know how much of the calcium cardibe is needed i am doing this for a chemistry demonstration and it does not seem to be working =[

    By Sciencekid09 1179407886
  • WOW!

    THATS AMAZING!... did you...freeze, oil, or something?

    By That One serious Guy 1177119842
  • asd

    alcohol
    only icq alkohol

    By wolf231 1175793447
  • where

    do you get calcium carbide

    By tmsrocks 1175788444
  • hey

    you kept it in alcoohol

    By bsplayer 1175628986
  • clever puzzle

    some kind of group 1 or group 2 metal

    using ice as a source of water it reacts to continuously form hydrogen gas as the ice melts

    judging by the rate of reaction maybe Na or Ca or Li?

    a thanks to tezterz for spotting the stuff in the bottom, i wouldn't have seen it myself

    By UofTchem 1174031433
    • edit

      edit since alkli metals and alkli earth have been guessed, i really haven't got a clue

      By UofTchem 1174031578
  • my guess

    is the substance in the bottom of the bowl is calcium carbide, and it reacts with the water to form a flammable gas

    By 3aaa 1174009362
  • granules in bottom of bowl

    There is something in the bottom of the bowl before the ice is added .... looks similar to rock salt. It starts to smoke after the ice is added and I believe is the source of fuel for the flame. But I don't know what it is ... maybe some of these other "brains" will know. ... nice puzzle Kentchemistry.

    By tezterz 1173846509
  • Boooring, it's not even cool looking

    That was boring... Could be as simple as a hole in the bottom of the glass container with gas flowing though it. Not enough information here as I could get the same effect with variouse methods.

    By FeaRMEKz 1173772305
    • I disagree

      that DID look cool

      By Kuzet 1177184552
  • you can

    see wut ever kinda gas is in the bowl b4 he puts the ice in ooze out in a vapor form wen he puts the ice in the bowl...ice just wouldnt do that alone...obviously there is something in this bowl and ur retarded fro tellin us there isnt

    By BxrNi99a 1173758341
  • answer ?

    Pyrex is a material that is ALMOST unreactive, but I believe it emits a gas (not sure what type of gas) that is only emitted in small amounts so when the match is struck the gas inside the bowl burns. The ices only job is to keep the Pyrex cold so it does not melt from the heat

    By Jimmyw 1173740770
    • You sir

      are stupid. Pyrex does not emit gas. Read the description of the video. I've made this experiment alot of times

      By Bunjabin 1180188067
  • I noticed

    I noticed you threw in a first match/burning object that seemed to go out.
    You then held another lit match carefully next to the bowl. Did the flame from the second match ignite the gas/vapor from the first match/object?

    By christ_all_maybe 1173667420
  • LISTEN

    WHEN YOU ADD GAZ and then you add ICE ice keep cold so the gaz stay under the cold made by the ice cube so when he throw a stick on fire the fire warm the cold and let the gaz go by the warmed place and the it start to burn ( explode because it not all the bool just some place that are warmth explode and when it explode the gaz can warm another palce and flame it the it go in a chain reaction that the most logic part ive seen that is wrote !

    By DaUnKnoWn 1173666604
    • gas not gaz

      this is improbable, because one the act of tossing the ice in the bowl would displace any gas that is in the bowl and two any flammable gas would be burnt off within a second of being (with appropriate bang i m sure)

      By UofTchem 1174032281
  • hhmm i dont know..

    dry ice?

    By Donnie69 1173664747
  • The Fire

    is absorbing the oxygen in the water of the ice as fuel, leaving only the hydrogen which burns.

    By ssonicblue 1173662374
  • I dont care

    The thing i know (You say you didnt did so) is it would look better if you add some alcohol, the black thing at the right indicates residues of the "combustile" and the yellowish flame indicates the combustion is not efficient,

    By karl_w 1173660790
  • Fire is behind

    Looks like whatever is burning is actually coming from behind the bowl of ice. Perhaps a gas burner that ignites as it flows over the ice to the match.

    By Jeanyes 1173657860
  • Is this right?

    The oxygen surrounding the ice increases in density and sinks to the botom of the dish.
    Oxygen is flamable and feeds the flame.
    Since the cooled oxegen is denser it takes a bit longer to heat up and burn away.
    .
    .
    Either that or the bowl is made of something very flamable :)

    By christ_all_maybe 1173656018
    • Looks like

      there is something burning behind the jar with ice when u threw the first match it looked like it went out but it light something behind the jar then u threw the second match and it looked like the second match caused the fire... maybe Im wrong but Im pretty sure Im right and looks like one of those cheep magic tricks ^^

      By Imbic 1173694863
  • this is the right answer...

    it's pure witchcraft......

    By fcy 1173609066
  • something that looks like ice

    lump of a colloidal solution tha looks like an ice cube in the bowl? calcium acetate, salt and alcohol

    By keredevil 1173591385
  • its methane gas in the cubes,

    isn't it? :)

    By xingu1 1173560409
  • WAS THERE SPIRIT

    Of somekind in those cubes?

    By ROSKOE1 1173400313
    • The flame isn't consistant enough for al...

      it jumps around

      By Numb Nuts 1173400697
  • .

    Ice is added to a dry Pyrex bowl. When the Ice melts the
    water reacts with the calcium carbide (place on the bottom) to
    produce acetylene gas and calcium hydroxide. The acetylene gas more...
    then explodes into flames when a match is placed on top. It
    will continue to burn even as the ice melts because it keeps
    producing acetylene until the calcium carbide runs out.

    By eisenheim 1183734013
44 Comments
 

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