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Isabel,
I can say from experience that adding just a green pea-sized amount of
Copper (II) Chloride Hydrate to a hydrogen balloon will indeed create a very
brightly colored green ball of flame when the balloon is ignited. It also
creates a spray or mist of un-combusted Copper (II) Chloride solid.
I guess the real question would be what are the health effects on the
presenter doing this? If you're doing it once for a special program, it's
probably not a big deal. If it's a regular demonstration I wonder about the
health effects of the inevitable inhaling the copper salt "mist" that is
generated by the balloon.
Anyone have thoughts on the long term effects or health concerns about this
kind of demo?
Carl
On Thu, Jul 7, 2011 at 6:40 PM, Isabel Van Dyke <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
> institutions.
>
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Hello all,
>
> I'm doing a magic-themed live science show and I want to make blue- or
> green-tinted fire for "dragon's flame." I'm planning to use cupric chloride
> or cupric sulfate. I have those two chemicals in solid form, but the MSDS
> informs me that neither one is flammable as a solid. Thus I need to get
> them
> in solution, probably in alcohol (though maybe water would work?).
>
> The tricky bit is that rather than sprinkling the copper on an open flame,
> I
> want to use it with a hydrogen balloon. I've exploded lots of those, so in
> and of themselves they aren't a problem, but I'm a bit wary of adding
> alcohol to the Hindenburg.
>
> Can anyone out there let me know the proportion of cupric chloride and/or
> cupric sulfate to alcohol (isopropyl? ethyl?), and any safety tips? I've
> seen this done before, so I know it's possible!
>
> Thanks,
> Isabel
> --
> Isabel Van Dyke
> Science Activities Coordinator
> ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum
> Ashland, OR
> [log in to unmask]
> 541 482 6767, ext. 218
>
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--
*Carl Nelson*
Chief Scientist & Exhibits Director
Imagination Station
imaginationstationtoledo.org<http://www.imaginationstationtoledo.org/content/imagine-it/>
419-244-2674 ext 126
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For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
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