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Experimenting: Yeast, Hydrogen peroxide chemical reaction (fire)

video Experimenting: Yeast, Hydrogen peroxide chemical reaction (fire)

Experimenting with Yeast and Hydrogen peroxide. When Hydrogen Peroxide (2 H2O2) reacts with yeast it makes water (H2O) and Oxygen (O2) 2 H2O2 -> 2 H2O+O2 im just board and want to share my chemical reactions with others.
It relights the piece of wood because the air inside the cup is so rich it changes the flash point (correct me if im wrong)

44 comments

1-40 of 44

Nov 1, 2009. 6:54 PMUrbanNinja says:

If you made a larger batch and poured it onto some logs, would it catch the logs on fire?

Sep 5, 2010. 1:07 PMhobobling says:

you cant pour a gas. the thing that relights the wood stick is O2, or oxygen gas.

Apr 24, 2012. 10:20 AMreywolf says:

if the gas is heavier than air you can pour it, if it is lighter than air you cant. http://chemistry.about.com/od/funfireprojects/a/candle-science-magic-trick.htm for reference

Apr 24, 2012. 11:32 AMhobobling says:

Yes, however O2 is not significantly heavier than air, and in this situation there was no gas being poured.

Nov 1, 2009. 6:59 PMUrbanNinja says:

...and yes I know that you would have to light it first. I am just curios if it would make lighting a campfire easier.

Nov 30, 2010. 7:05 AMCaptianC3 says:

Cool Expiriment! Ill do it for science fair!

May 16, 2010. 7:18 PMcellomelodys says:

So helpful!!!!!needed it.....<3<3 for science hw!!

Oct 4, 2009. 4:05 PMEnigmaMax says:

nice LOTR cup.

Jun 17, 2009. 1:49 AMadsa says:

Liver may be used with hydrogen peroxide for a similar reaction, in which catalase is produced liberating lots of oxygen, at which point you can use a candle or similar for re-ignition

Jun 22, 2009. 8:52 AMi make shooting things (author) says:

yep we did that in freshman biology

Sep 16, 2009. 4:14 PMa_traceur says:

Liver smells!

Apr 27, 2009. 4:16 PMgeeklord says:

I love simple pyro experiments like this. Any other ones that someone can suggest? I'm working on getting potassium nitrate for flash powder/smoke bombs, but I have magnesium.

Jun 7, 2008. 4:25 PMCaptinilliterate says:

Just curious, what are some uses of that?

Mar 14, 2009. 4:19 PMharley_rly says:

you could pressurize a small glass container with it, and surround it with gunpowder in a small container, im sure you know the rest

Jun 7, 2008. 7:42 PMi make shooting things (author) says:

demonstrate chemical reactions/help prevent boredom to a small existent. i dont know any use full things you can do with this so far.

Oct 29, 2008. 4:29 PMhalogirl says:

i like your name :)

Oct 29, 2008. 4:27 PMhalogirl says:

disappointing I thought this was something dangerous

Mar 2, 2009. 4:08 PMEl Mano says:

This is dangerous when you mix the resulting oxygen with something like hydrogen, gasoline, or anything that burns. There's a reason oxygen canisters have a warning about not operating near a flame, cigarette, etc.

Oct 29, 2008. 4:28 PMhalogirl says:

and cool not boring science

Aug 16, 2009. 6:29 PMcodongolev says:

everything cool has science in it. like, for instance, if you burn something with liquid oxygen, the oxygen rich environment makes it explode. which is cool.

Nov 1, 2008. 1:35 PMtobyp says:

The yeast doesn't react with the hydrogen peroxide, it just catalyzes its breakdown.

Jan 17, 2009. 9:24 AMblakdragon19 says:

which is still a chemical reaction. really, I actually know this stuff.

Jan 18, 2009. 6:17 AMtobyp says:

Catalysts don't react, they lower the activation energy required for a chemical reaction to take place.

Feb 27, 2009. 8:22 AMblakdragon19 says:

umm, so how do you think that works exactly? the molecules go in there, wave their magic wands and proclaim that the activation energy is now lowered? no. thats not how it works. the catalyst molecules react with you original chemical , and through several low energy reactions, end up with the end product that you want, and that series of reactions takes less energy than it would to directly make your end product from your original chemical without any help. for example: (from wikipedia) Catalysts generally react with one or more reactants to form intermediates that subsequently give the final reaction product, in the process regenerating the catalyst. The following is a typical reaction scheme, where C represents the catalyst, X and Y are reactants, and Z is the product of the reaction of X and Y: X + C → XC (1) Y + XC → XYC (2) XYC → CZ (3) CZ → C + Z (4) Although the catalyst is consumed by reaction 1, it is subsequently produced by reaction 4, so for the overall reaction: X + Y → Z As a catalyst is regenerated in a reaction, often only small amounts are needed to increase the rate of the reaction. In practice, however, catalysts are sometimes consumed in secondary processes.

Feb 26, 2009. 4:21 AM___ says:

yes

Apr 16, 2008. 3:47 PMdarkanima93 says:

O2 if flammable just in the right conditions like in liquid form.

Apr 27, 2008. 7:52 PMTheMadScientist says:

uhh, not really. liquid oxygen won't just "burn"... remember, for fire you need THREE things, oxygen, heat and FUEL

Feb 26, 2009. 4:22 AM___ says:

TheMadScientist is right.

Aug 4, 2008. 2:50 PMpyroboy says:

Oxygen is not a fuel it is an accelerate. It is not flammable. though with out it nothing would be flammable. This same reaction happens when you put hydrogen peroxide on a cut or wound. you can even use a potato chip. The reason the reaction occurs is because the h202 is coming in contact with an enzyme called catalase which releases an 02 leaves h20.

Mar 31, 2008. 8:21 PMtriggernum5 says:

Yeast can make other flammable stuff too.. Stuff more important to some ppl than worthless oxygen..:)

Dec 31, 2007. 6:27 PMThuzle says:

H2O2 naturally becomes H2O and O2. The yeast is just creating a catalyst in an effort to save its meager existence. Won't work though, too much H2O2, when it stops fizzing you know you've won over the poor cell walls.

Dec 24, 2007. 1:04 PM

Weissensteinburg says:

I'm pretty sure that the flash point doesn't have much to do with it...the stick is still as hot as fire, like an ember. It's the same way that you can start a fire by nurturing an ember (and blowing on it). Oxygen just helps a lot because it's flammable, so the ember's heat ignites the oxygen that is created by the reaction.

Dec 24, 2007. 5:14 PM

kruser495 says:

oxygen isnt flammable. it just helps what ever is burning oxidize.

Dec 24, 2007. 5:21 PM

Weissensteinburg says:

Did you read my reply to PKM?

Dec 24, 2007. 8:11 PM

kruser495 says:

oops, sorry.

Dec 24, 2007. 8:22 PM

Weissensteinburg says:

Not a problem at all =]

Dec 24, 2007. 4:16 PM

PKM says:

Oxygen is not flammable- oxygen is what flammable materials use in order to burn (burning = combining with oxygen). The glowing stick isn't hot enough to burst into flame in air (only ~20% oxygen) but when put into a higher concentration of oxygen it burns a lot hotter, relighting the flame.

Dec 24, 2007. 4:46 PM

Weissensteinburg says:

While you're right that oxygen is not technically flammable, it is often considered such because fire is just an energetic reaction between a fuel and an oxidizer. And having an extra strong (non diluted) amount of oxidizer present makes it seem as if the oxygen is what was flammable. So although it is flammable in the sense that an everyday person might think of it, oxygen is not a fuel, and therefore not flammable.

Dec 24, 2007. 5:40 PMry25920 says:

This would be useful for lighting a lot of candles, fires, or fireworks.

Dec 24, 2007. 12:21 PM

T3h_Muffinator says:

I believe that it's re-igniting because it's just more oxygen rich, but my 10th grade chem teacher probably lied to us, and that probably lowers the flash point, too.

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