#14: Decomposing Sugar

If you think about it, magic tricks only work when their observers don't know what is really happening. Likewise, in science, our observations can seem magical because we can't explain them. In my latest experiment, I experienced this exact feeling of wonder. My procedure was relatively simple. I took a small beaker of sugar (C12H22O11) and stirred in some sulfuric acid (H2SO4). This caused the mixture to turn black and start bubbling. After a few minutes, the concoction began to expand while releasing lots of steam. When it stopped growing, the sponge-like substance became rock hard. The reaction also let out enough heat to melt the plastic beneath the aluminum foil. The results were certainly peculiar.

Similar to most of my experiments, I discovered this one on the internet. To my surprise, I had a hard time finding an explanation for it. Eventually I figured it out. In the reaction, the sulfuric acid broke down the sugar into two parts: carbon and water. The water was given off in the form of steam leaving the carbon behind. This process is called a dehydration reaction. It caused the carbon to take on an entirely different structure similar to that of solid graphite. The expansion effect happened because of air pockets that formed. As for the heat, it was simply the energy released from the sugar. All in all, the experiment was quite fascinating. 

Unfortunately, the beaker never became clean.

 

#13: Flash Frozen or Instant Evaporation?

Here in Northern New Jersey, my family and I have recently experienced quite the cold snap. To take advantage of the near-negative temperatures, I decided to perform a certain experiment. I wanted to see if I could "flash freeze" some water simply by throwing it into the air. To find out, I took a cup of cold H2O and splashed it out my window. Much to my surprise, nothing happened. Upon doing some quick research, I read that the demonstration only worked with boiling water. While this seemed counterintuitive, I decided to go ahead and try it out.

I set up my camera and began heating a small pot of water. When the water reached a boil, I marched out the door and into the sub-zero weather. Gripping the saucepan with my oven mitts, I threw its contents into the icy air. The result was astonishing. As the water flew from the pot, it became surrounded by a giant, steamy cloud. As the cloud expanded, it produced a shower of what looked like snow. While I initially believed that the hot liquid had frozen, I started to have my doubts. I also couldn't understand why the cold water had behaved differently.

In a quest for answers, I returned to the internet. Through reading and reasoning, I was able figure everything out. Contrary to popular belief, water will only flash freeze when the air is around -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Seeing as it wasn't that frigid, it is more likely that the water evaporated. This makes sense because boiling water is already close to evaporating and does so fastest in cold dry air.

While this did explain the foggy cloud, I still couldn't account for the snow-like dust that had also appeared. To work that part out, I decided to take a closer look. In doing so, I noticed that each white spec left behind a trail of vapor. Almost like a comet. This idea led me to believe that the particles were actually evaporating drops of water that only appeared white, because their surface was constantly vaporizing. Analysis aside, I enjoyed exploring the science firsthand.

Even though the boiling water never froze like I had hoped, the experiment turned out to be a very interesting.