Carbon Sugar Snake Experiment (Chemistry)

In this experiment powdered sugar and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) decompose to create a long black carbon snake. Carbon dioxide gets trapped within the carbon creating gas pockets and extending the snake longer and longer.

▶️ Get supplies for this experiment:

▶️ How to make a carbon sugar snake:
Step 1: Measure out five grams of baking soda and twenty grams of powdered sugar—really any one-to-four ratio will work.

Step 2: Mix the baking soda and powdered sugar really well. I did it in a freezer bag just to make it easier.

Step 3: On the metal pan, put a large mound of sand right in the center. I used 5-6 cups of sand in this experiment.

Step 4: Measure out 150 mL of Coleman's lantern fuel.

❗️ SAFTEY NOTE: Let's go over some safety involved. Always use a secondary glass container when working with flammable liquids, and keep your primary container far away from any source of heat or ignition. If something happens and your secondary container catches fire, you can easily put it out by smothering it out with the pot lid. However, if the primary container catches fire, it can melt, creating a huge fire and injuring people close to it.

Step 5: Pour the Coleman's lantern fuel onto the mound of sand, then place the sugar baking soda mixture in the very center of the mound.

Step 6: Double-check that you have your fire extinguisher close, light the fuel, and observe.

▶️ How the carbon sugar snake experiment works:
You'll start to see the white powder turn black and then, after a few minutes, it'll start to grow taller and taller. The way this works is that, as the baking soda and sugar decompose, carbon dioxide gas gets trapped inside pockets of the black carbon and it continues to grow taller and taller and taller. Many of the experimental procedures you find online say that you can use 91% isopropyl alcohol for this experiment. I wasn't able to get the 91% isopropyl alcohol to create a long snake. It might have something to do with the type of sand I was using or the humidity in the air.

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[hightide]

Who is here because of the Australian, Sydney news about this experiment injuring school kids?

[Buzzhumma]

I’ve done this a few times and I found results varied based on ambient temperatures as well as amount of heat sink that to much sand can create . Use a jar lid with small amount of sand and make sure it’s on a brick on a warm day !ise can also use 95%turps and 5 % of 10% ethanol petrol mix with a little h202 as an oxidiser . Be carful and start with very small amount of materials .

[vincentaragon]

You really saved me with this I have a science fair due in a couple of weeks and I think I will do great

[AsymptoteInverse]

I'm always reminded of the words of Stuart Ashen: "...an inexplicably nauseating modern art sculpture."

I'm glad I finally found the recipe for this stuff. I'd been making the potassium nitrate version, which is a lot more volatile and expensive.

[NIGHTOWL-jfzt]

Imagine if you needed all these safety precautions when you were a kid and lighting carbon snakes back in the 70's, 80's!

[thomasgarbe]

nice demonstration, and very pertinent usage for both nickel-rich baking soda and toxic sugar!

[neal]

What were to happen if the amount of sugar/baking soda is increased?

[muhammadsameerrasheed]

How much times does it take for such length

[meryemdemircan]

is it necessary to heat the lighting fluid?

[SchoolScienceProjects]

Helpful experiment...so nice of you.. We are also doing such experiments....

[jayroland]

So what is the composition of the snake? I'm guessing carbon but not 100% sure.

[thebeast]

They use to have that at the firework store..now i know how they made it

[singing_chipmunk]

Do you have to use sand or can I use something else like dirt?

[WhatDillionYT]

could you use water instead of a fire extinguisher?

[fernandoperez]

Saludos. Vengo de " Un Poco De Todo "

[CCLLHE]

I have done this but it didn’t grow taller, just those little black mushrooms. Now this could be because I used ethanol instead of lighter fluid and I used a pretty tiny pot-like base for the sand. I guess in this case bigger *IS* better

[carshouldfly]

What can I use if I don't have sand?

[pestilence.and.plague]

Hey there. I would like to ask if there are any alternatives to the lantern fuel and whether, in order for the experiment to work, only this specific kind is necessary?

[srajanugnayak]

Can we use hand sanitizer instead of what flammable liquid you used

[Caseyblackmontheomorifan]

Damn this helps I have a project of this! Thanks for the help❤