Burning Magnesium in Dry Ice
Magnesium metal is used in some fireworks to create brilliant white sparks. Those sparks are created as the metal reacts with oxygen in the air.
While carbon dioxide is generally used to put out fires, it turns out that magnesium can also react with carbon dioxide to produce a brilliant flame.
A fire extinguisher filled with carbon dioxide puts out fires as the CO2 gas displaces oxygen. No oxygen, no more fire.
Magnesium is so reactive that it can actually react directly with carbon dioxide itself. In this video we start the reaction by lighting magnesium with a propane torch then enclose the burning metal in a block of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide).
The reaction between the magnesium and carbon dioxide gives off a stunning amount of light. Enough to light up the entire opaque block of dry ice.
Once the reaction stops we can open up the block and inside will be a small black ball of carbon coated with some greyish looking magnesium oxide, the final products of the reaction.
Related articles
If you found this interesting, check out some of these related articles.
- Burning Magnesium in Dry Ice
- Micro-scale thermite reaction
- The Flame Tube
- All about fireworks
- Hydrogen plus Oxygen equals Insanely loud detonation
Comments
5 Responses to “Burning Magnesium in Dry Ice”Speak Your Mind
Tell us what you're thinking by leaving a comment below...
Hi, I am doing a school project on burning magnesium in dry ice and I was wondering if you could provide a little more information on the science behind the experiment. What is really happening within the reaction? If you could provide this information it would be most helpful! Also, thank you to Carl the author. This was a helpful video and explanation. I will be attending Michingan State University next year, I found this interesting because you also attended this University! Thanks.
-Amanda Loth
Hi Amanda,
Here is a link to a nice description of the chemical reactions going on in this demonstration. I will update the original article as well.
Good luck on your project!
Carl
so magnesium man is really screwed if lit on fire, right? unless he lives near a beach.
Hi I want to do this experiment , but I have a problem. Where I live I can’t get magnesium . Instead of magnesium what I can use. Can I use aluminum ??
Well, for this particular demonstration magnesium is really required.