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"Gummy Bear Experiment" with molten Potassium chlorate

video "Gummy Bear Experiment" with molten Potassium chlorate

This is the gummy bear experiment which gummy bear is added to molten chlorate, in such oxygen-rich environment with sufficient temperature, gummy bear bursts into lilac flame vigorously when contac with molten chlorate. Both Gummy Bear and boiling tube sacrificed for this demonstration.

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Music: Electro(Sketch) by Kevin MacLeod @ incompetech.com
Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0"

7 comments

Mar 29, 2010. 2:42 PM

Jaycub says:

Looks like sugar with potassium chlorate would be a good rocket fuel.

Apr 18, 2010. 12:39 PMknektek says:

you mean molten potsssium chlorate, i suppose the potsssium chlorate could be melted in the rocket, which would mean longer prep time.

Apr 19, 2010. 3:26 PM

Jaycub says:

No, I mean solid. You could mix KClO3 and sugar powders in the right ratio (3:2? that's the mix you use on kno3 sugar) or if you want you could dissolve them together in water and boil out the water while stirring. The mix should be pretty heat sensitive.

Aug 24, 2010. 3:14 PMredweed says:

I strongly suggest not trying to melt any Chlorate and a reducing agent (sugar) together. It may cause an explosion. The gummy bears are not as dangerous (and not that many at any given time). Use Nitrates (not ammonium nitrate though) instead. There are many recipes on the net for "re-crystallised" potassium nitrate and sugar as rocket fuel. They work really well. Using Chlorate could lose you a finger or worse. It could turn into high explosive. If you want more efficient rocket fuel, you may consider using the safer potassium per-chlorate, which is more stable but still could be dangerous. Best use nitrates for home-made rocket fuel.

Aug 26, 2010. 1:45 PM

Jaycub says:

I've made "r-candy" plenty of times, but it is not that great of a rocket fuel. It is hygroscopic, low power, and makes a ton of smoke. All rocket fuels with metal fuels or metal-containing compounds make smoke. Ammonium nitrate and ammonium perchlorate could be good for making strong smokeless rocket fuels though.

Aug 29, 2010. 2:30 AMredweed says:

Of course, but the preparation of an ammonium perchlorate fuel is not by melting it with sugar. AFAIK amm. perchlorate or nitrate fuels use metals (Al or Zn) as reducing agents for fuel, but again, perchlorates and nitrates are safer than the chlorate option, which isn't at all safe or stable (as the experiment shows). Melting potassium chlorate with sugar will likely cause spontaneous combustion.

Jun 11, 2010. 5:00 PMRo-mico says:

Oh my... You could hear the gummy bear screaming!! XD AAAAAAAAAArrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhh!!!! Gummy bears sure are tough to kill, they can scream a lot before dying. Nice experiment by the way.