How to Start Fire with Water!

Step 4 Igniting

The only thing left to do is to ignite it.
To do so, add a few drops of water with a syringe or pipette (or stand well back and see if you can hit it with spit!)
The important thing is to wear safety gear, such as goggles or gloves.

A few seconds after the water is added, smoke will appear, and then a combustion will occur with a bright, green flame.

Comments

[nhoja]

I think calcium carbide is better and safer!!

[CodeKid1001]

so which is the part that reacts with the water

[alexeagle6630]

how do you make the fire stop and what is a cold pack alexeagle6630

[KWeippert]

If you have no idea what a cold pack is.....you shouldnt be trying this experiment!!!

[A.C.E.]

hey it will go out in just about 3 seconds if you follow this guys amounts.

[codongolev]

cold pack- sold at drugstores, used for injuries. you squeeze the pack of water inside and burst it, and the resulting reaction takes more energy than it creates, therefore making it cold. it's useful for sports, where there's no freezer around.

[Jaycub]

Once you light a mixture that has the oxidiser in it the only way to put it out is to remove the fuel source. So unless you want to poke a stick in it and try to scrape out the un-burnt part of the mixture while it's going you basicaly can't put it out.

[TFrosty]

You could put a bucket over it, getting rid of the oxygen. You have to eliminate one part of the fire triangle, source, heat, and oxygen

[Jaycub]

The amonium nitrate serves as an oxidizer, it doesn't need oxygen from the air.

[TFrosty]

My mistake. I completely blanked out on that.

[DustyJK]

Wow

[zoraxbrooks]

if on trew this in a lake, would it ignite the whole lake or just where the powder is at?

[A.C.E.]

what the hell do you think?? ok, i will not flame you.. Actually, if you put too much water on it, the solution is ruined. that is how to get the stuff off the morter and pestle, just blast it with a water hose.

[The Musicman]

does the water have to be distilled or can it be tap water?

[bighead5454]

since you seem to like pyrotynicics you should post a instructabl on how to do like tripbombs or landmines or something like that

[codongolev]

land mine- put this into a plastic bag, and put another plastic bag inside it full of water so that when it's stepped on, the bag of water bursts. tripbomb- put a cork in a bottle, put it sideways above a pile of this stuff, tie a string to the cork, and put the string across a path.

[Otaku_Espada]

Cool! I like how almost everything can be found around the house, which brings me to my question: the zinc powder is the fuel, whereas the ammonium nitrate is the oxidizer, is that right? Is there anything more readily available (like say sulfur, saltpetre, etc) that one could use instead? Thanks! --Espada