Sugar Snake

A black snake grows out of a pile of sugar and baking soda:

You can heat baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with sugar (sucrose) to

produce carbon dioxide gas that puffs up black carbon ash. Cool!!!

MATERIALS

 sand
 fuel oil
 baking soda
 powdered sugar

PROCEDURE:

 Mix 4 parts powdered sugar with 1 part baking soda. (ex: 4 tsp sugar and 1
tsp baking soda.)
 Make a mound with the sand. Push a depression into the middle of the
sand.
 Pour the fuel into the sand to wet it.
 Pour the sugar and soda mixture into the depression.
 Ignite the mound, using a lighter or match.
At first, you'll get a flame and some small scattered blackened balls. Once the
reaction gets going, the carbon dioxide will puff up the carbonate into the
continuously extruded 'snake'.

Actually, you don't even need the sand. I tried this project using baking soda and
sugar in a metal mixing bowl, added the fuel, and lit the mixture. It worked fine.
The old firework snakes had a distinct smell. These have a smell too... burnt
marshmallows! If you use pure ethanol, sugar, and baking soda, then there is
nothing toxic about this project.

HOW BLACK SNAKES WORK

The sugar and baking soda snake proceeds according to the following chemical
reactions, where sodium bicarbonate breaks down into sodium carbonate, water
vapor, and carbon dioxide gas while burning the sugar in oxygen produces water
vapor and carbon dioxide gas. The snake is carbonate with black carbon particles:

2 NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2

When solid fuel starts to burn. The mixture of sugar and baking soda in the flames will turn into
a black "snake." If this experiment is done correctly, it is possible to grow a snake that is 15–50
cm long.

How does the snake form?

When sugar (C12H22O11) burns (combusts), it turns into water vapor and carbon dioxide. However,
complete combustion requires a good oxygen supply. Other complex processes take place at high
temperatures, because the flow of oxygen to the inner parts of the pile of sugar is hindered.
These processes include the decomposition of sugar to give carbon and water vapor. It is this
decomposition to give carbon that gives us a carbon "snake".

Why do we add baking soda (NaHCO3) to the sugar?

Baking soda decomposes when heated to release carbon dioxide (CO2):

2NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2

Baking soda is added to bread dough to make it rise, and it is the same for this experiment. The
carbon dioxide and water vapor that is given off make the snake light and airy, which allows the
snake to grow.
What is this "snake" made of?
The "snake" consists of mainly carbon that comes from the heated sugar, but which was not
burnt in the flame. The carbon is what makes the "snake" black. There is also Na2CO3 in the
snake, which results from the decomposition of the baking soda when heated.

What chemical reactions occur in the process of formation of the

"snake"?
The three main reactions in this process are:

 Combustion of sugar (good oxygen supply available) to give carbon dioxide and water vapor:

С12H22O11 + 12O2 → 12CO2 + 11H2O

 Thermal decomposition of sugar to give carbon and water vapor:

С12H22O11 → 12C + 11H2O

 Thermal decomposition of baking soda to give sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide, and water
vapor:

2NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O

Caution:
After the “snake” has cooled you can touch it, but be careful, it may be hot. The carbon
contained in the “snake” will get onto your hands, so wash your hands after the experiment.

Disposal
Dispose of solid waste together with household garbage.