#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.