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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1998  > June  >
In the Classroom
Tested Demonstrations
Sugar Dehydration without Sulfuric Acid: No More Choking Fumes in the Classroom!
Todd P. Silverstein and Yi Zhang
Willamette University, Chemistry Department, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301-3922
Cover
June 1998
Vol. 75 No. 6
p. 748
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.
More Information
*  Citation
 Silverstein, Todd P.; Zhang, Yi. J. Chem. Educ. 1998 75 748.
*  Keywords
 Demonstrations, Introductory/High School Chemistry, Safety/Hazardous Materials, Teaching/Learning Aids, Thermodynamics, Electrochemistry, Solid-State Chemistry, Redox Reactions
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 June 23, 1999
June 23, 2005
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