Thermite Reaction
Contents
- Sodium Iodide + Mercury(II) Chloride
- Like Dissolves Like
- Ferrofluid
- Ice Bomb
- Oxidation of Glycerin
- Mercury Beating Heart
- Nitrogen Triiodide Detonation
- Cadmium Nitrate + Sodium Sulfide
- Copper(II) Nitrate + Ammonia
- Sodium + Acid
- Denaturation of Protein
- Hydrolysis of t-Butyl Chloride
- Centrifuging
- Which Is Hot?
- Dust Explosion
- Thermite
The thermite reaction involves a mixture of iron oxide and aluminum that has been placed in a flower pot. A sparkler is used to initiate the reaction. When the iron oxide-aluminum mixture is ignited, a very vigorous reaction occurs and a molten metal can be seen dropping from the flower pot into a bucket of sand below. The reaction is extremely exothermic, a great deal of heat is given off. When the product of the reaction is examined a large piece of white hot iron has fallen into the sand at the bottom of the apparatus. This illustrates that aluminum is an extremely strong reducing agent and also that this reaction is very highly exothermic.
Chemical Equation
Fe2O3 + 2Al 
Al2O3 + 2Fe
Journal of Chemical Education is a publication of the Division of Chemical Education, Inc. of the American Chemical Society.