Concepts:

Fuel, oxidizers, fire triangle

Safety:

• WARNING! Do not stand near experiment.

• Viewers must stay behind demonstrators at all times for safety precautions.

• Those who are sensitive to light should avoid this demonstration.

• This one tends to throw molten gummy bear around a bit. So, plan it out carefully!

• If done in a test tube the gummy can block the opening and it can be a cannon

Equipment:

• Wear safety glasses

• Plastic Shield

• Gummy Bears

• Potassium Chlorate (About 5-7 grams)

• Pyrex Test Tube with ring Stand with Clamp

• Propane torch

• Metal tray

Preparation:

• Ensure you have good clearance

• Know your smoke detectors also, it can set them off

Demonstration Instructions

• Use about 6g (6x sugar packet size) potassium chlorate and put in the test tube or flask

• Place test tube on ring stand in area with good ventilation

• Be sure that the test tube is pointed away from demonstrator and audience.

• Heat the potassium chlorate until it is a complete liquid.

• Drop the gummy bear in the test tube, stand back, and enjoy the show.

Observations:

• What's Really Going On...? Gummy Bears are mostly made up of sugar. Sugar is also known as sucrose in organic chemistry. Sucrose is a disaccharide made up of two monosaccharide molecules known as glucose and fructose. Below is the structure for Sucrose. On the left side of this molecule is the part of the structure that's made up by glucose. The right side is fructose. They are bonded in the middle by the oxygen. This bond is called a glycosidic bond, which just means that it is a covalent bond that bonds carbohydrates to another group. This other group can also be other carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are also known as sugars. Okay, now that you know some background information, let's talk about what's going on.

• When the potassium chlorate is heated, it decomposes into potassium chloride and oxide, as seen below: 2KClO3(s) 2KCl(s) + 3O2(g) When the gummy bear is dropped, the oxide from the decomposition of potassium chlorate reacts with the glucose molecule in sucrose. This reaction is a spontaneous combustion reaction: C6H12O6 (s) + 6O2 (g) 6CO2(g) + 6H2O (g)

• The overall reaction is seen below: C12H22O11 (s) + 8KClO3 (s) 12CO2 (g) + 11H2O (g) + 8KCl (s) This reaction is an exothermic reaction because energy is released, in the form of heat, which can produce light, as seen by the purple hued flames.

• The purple color of the flames is due to excited potassium ions giving off a purple-colored light. You might also see orange flames resulting from sodium ions, which are present in the gummy bear, being excited in the same manner.

Learning Outcomes:

• Oxidation reduction reactions

• Oxidizer fires

• Oxidizers mixed with other chemicals, reactants and products

• Mitigation of mixed chemicals, oxidizers with others, they just don't get along, not even with each other!

Chemical Disposal:

• Dispose according to local regulations but the potassium chlorate is normally consumed in the reaction.

Additional Information: