Add 5-7 grams of potassium chlorate to the test tube (about 1 cm in depth). Gently heat the tube with the burner until the potassium chlorate is completely molten. Bubbles of oxygen will begin to form. Remove the burner and use crucible tongs to drop in the gummy bear, and stand back!
What is the equation for potassium chlorate and gummy bear?
So, in all, we have two reaction taking place here; the decomposition of the metal chlorates into a metal chloride and oxygen gas (2KClO3(S) → KCl (s) + 3O2(g)) when heated, and the sugar (gummy bear) reacting with the oxygen gas to produce carbon dioxide and water (C12H22O11(s) + 12 O2(g) →12 CO2(g) + 11 H2O (g)).
What happens when you mix potassium chlorate and candy?
When potassium chlorate and ordinary table sugar are combined, and a drop of sulfuric acid is added as a catalyst, the two react violently with each other, releasing large quantities of heat energy, a spectacular purplish flame, and a great deal of smoke. …
How do you do the gummy bear experiment?
Fill the glass labeled sugar water with one-half cup of water. Add and mix in one tablespoon of sugar until all the sugar has dissolved. Add a gummy bear to each glass and note the time. Wait 12 hours, measure and weigh each gummy bear.
Do gummy bears explode?
Once the potassium chlorate has been melted in a test tube, a gummy bear will be dropped to his doom and flames will burst out of the tube as a result.
What makes gummy bears shrink?
In Salt and Sugar: The water will move out of the gummy bear to the sugar and salt water in the cup. That is because there is more sugar and salt in the water outside of the bear than inside of the gummy bear. That’s why the gummy bear shrunk!
Can you buy potassium chlorate?
You can buy it, but it’s easy to make potassium chlorate at home using ordinary household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) and salt substitute (potassium chloride).
What happens when you put a gummy bear in potassium chlorate?
This reaction was, plainly put, placing a gummy bear into about 10g of molten potassium chlorate. If you are unfamiliar with molten potassium chlorate, it is a strong oxidizing agent that reacts violently with sugar, and gummy bears, those delicious goodies, have lots of sugar in them.
How do you test for the presence of Bear in potassium chlorate?
Pour about 10g of Potassium chlorate into a long medium/large test tube. Do not do this experiment with a small or short test tube as molten pieces of bear will fly out while the reaction progresses. Place the test tube into a clamp on a ring stand. Make sure that this set up is done in a Fume Hood.
What is the procedure of the gummy bear experiment?
So on to the procedure! Since we were the most explosive experiment, we started the experiment shindig with a blast, or, to make it more technical, with a rapid oxidation reaction. This reaction was, plainly put, placing a gummy bear into about 10g of molten potassium chlorate.
What happens when potassium chlorate melts in a test tube?
In this experiment, a demonstration of a spontaneous exothermic reaction will take place between a gummy bear and molten potassium chlorate. Once the potassium chlorate has been melted in a test tube, a gummy bear will be dropped to his doom and flames will burst out of the tube as a result. What’s Really Going On…?
