Whoosh Bottle - Chemical Demonstration Kit

By: John J. Fortman, Retired
Wright State University, Dayton, OH


Wow your students with a whoosh! Students just love to see the blue alcohol flame shoot out of the mouth of the bottle and watch yellow dancing flames pulsate in the jug as more air is drawn in. Use this exciting demonstration to teach combustion reactions, molar relationships, and thermodynamics concepts. Have your students write the chemical equation for the combustion of alcohol and predict the volume of water that will be formed. With the detailed procedure and safety information provided, you too can safely perform this popular explosive demonstration in your classroom. Teacher Demonstration Notes included.

Concepts: Thermodynamics, combustion, molar relationships.
Time Required: 15 minutes
Materials Provided: 5-gallon whoosh jug, isopropyl alcohol.
Note: A safety shield and fire blanket are highly recommended when performing this demonstration.