Prev. Article Next Article Table of Contents

Demo

Sugar Dehydration without Sulfuric Acid: No More Choking Fumes in the Classroom!

Citing Articles

Your current credentials do not allow retrieval of the full text.

Purchase the full-text

PDF/HTML,
figures/images,
references and tables,
(where available)

Todd P. Silverstein and Yi Zhang

Willamette University, Chemistry Department, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301-3922

J. Chem. Educ., 1998, 75 (6), p 748

DOI: 10.1021/ed075p748

Publication Date (Web): June 1, 1998

Abstract

Sugar is a common reagent often used in colorful classroom demonstrations. It produces a growing column of black ash when dehydrated by concentrated sulfuric acid, and it produces a brilliant purple flame when combusted with potassium chlorate. Unfortunately, both of these reactions also produce copious quantities of noxious fumes which make them problematic as lecture demonstrations. We have modified and combined these two reactions. Our demonstration uses no sulfuric acid, yields relatively little smoke, and produces an exciting and unpredictable growing column of black carbon.

Keywords (Audience):

High School / Introductory Chemistry

Keywords (Domain):

Demonstrations

Keywords (Feature):

Tested Demonstrations

Keywords (Subject):

Carbohydrates

View: Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links

Citing Articles

Citation data is made available by participants in CrossRef's Cited-by Linking service. For a more comprehensive list of citations to this article, users are encouraged to perform a search in SciFinder.

This article has been cited by 3 ACS Journal articles (3 most recent appear below).

The Chemical Wizardry of J. K. Rowling
Jane Snell Copes
Journal of Chemical Education2006 83 (10), 1479
- The Chemical Wizardry of J. K. Rowling
  Jane Snell Copes
  Journal of Chemical Education2006 83 (10), 1479
  J. K. Rowling's series of Harry Potter books has captured the imaginations of millions of readers worldwide. Many of the chemical special effects that take place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry can be simulated and understood by non-magical ...
  Abstract | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links
Sugar Dehydration without Sulfuric Acid
Edward F. Duhr , Allison S. Soult , John G. Maijub and Fitzgerald B. Bramwell
Journal of Chemical Education2006 83 (5), 701
- Sugar Dehydration without Sulfuric Acid
  Edward F. Duhr , Allison S. Soult , John G. Maijub and Fitzgerald B. Bramwell
  Journal of Chemical Education2006 83 (5), 701
  The procedure for “Sugar Dehydration without Sulfuric Acid: No More Choking Fumes in the Classroom!” can lead to watch glass breakage and thereby a fire hazard.
  Abstract | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links
Sugar Dehydration without Sulfuric Acid
Todd P. Silverstein
Journal of Chemical Education2006 83 (5), 701
- Sugar Dehydration without Sulfuric Acid
  Todd P. Silverstein
  Journal of Chemical Education2006 83 (5), 701
  Offers additional solutions to the cracked watch glass problem associated with an earlier published dehydration of sugar demonstration.
  Abstract | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links