Hooked on Science: Make a snake

Have you purchased those Fourth of July fireworks yet? You can create your own by using a few materials from around the house. Adult supervision is recommended.

Materials

* Baking soda

* Sand

* Isopropyl alcohol

* Sugar

* Grill lighter

Instructions

STEP 1: Mix 4 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of baking soda.

STEP 2: Using the sand, create a mound and then create a depression in the center of the sand.

STEP 3: Pour some of the isopropyl alcohol into the depression.

STEP 4: Pour the sugar and baking soda mixture into the depression.

STEP 5: Using the grill lighter ignite the sugar and baking soda mixture.

Explanation

When baking soda is heated to a specific temperature, carbon dioxide is released. The pressure created from the release of the carbon dioxide gas causes the snake to grow. The snake gets its black appearance due to the sugar being caramelized by the heat.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website www.hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science. Send him your science questions at jlindseyhookedonscience.com. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.