The black snake experiment

Title: Black snake experiment List of required equipment: aluminium tray, plastic tray, beaker, matches, aluminium foil, some sand List of required chemicals: sugar, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), ethyl alcohol Procedure: Put some sugar and sodium bicarbonate in a beaker and mix them thoroughly. Place a plastic tray on the table and cover it with aluminium foil. Place the aluminium tray in the middle of it and fill it with sand. Place a mixture of sugar and baking soda over the sand and use the beaker to soak everything with alcohol and you're ready to go. Fire it all up using the matches. Results: Being fired up, the white sugar turns into a black carbonized tube that pushes itself out of the tray. Conclusion: As the sugar burns, it leaves behind carbon ash. This ash is puffed up by carbon dioxide released as the baking soda decomposes. The product is a fun and (relatively) safe homemade firecracker.