SiRu Liang

The Great Molasses Flood

1. Briefly describe how molasses is manufactured

Molasses is made by crushing sugar cane, and the juice released is boiled until the sugar is
crystallized and the remaining liquid residue is molasses.

2. Define and give an example of isomers.

Isomers are two or more compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures.
Glucose and fructose are examples of isomers.

3. Define viscosity and rank three liquids of your choice in order of increasing viscosity.
Viscosity is a liquid’s resistance to flow. Water has the lowest viscosity, vegetable oil has a
medium viscosity, and honey has the highest viscosity.

4. Explain the term catalyst. How does a catalyst affect the fermentation process?
Catalysts are substances that speed up chemical reactions. A catalyst like zymase will speed up
the fermentation process more efficiently.

5. What factors contributed to the failure of the molasses tank causing a tragic sticky flood?
Because the temperature had increased, it acted as a catalyst for increasing the speed of
fermentation, which then increased the CO2 building inside the tank. The amount of pressure inside the
tank was greater than the atmospheric pressure exerted on the tank, which increased the load the steel
barrel needed to withstand. Since the steel tank was not thick enough or the right material, it could not
handle the pressure of the CO2 within and soon broke.

6. It is highly recommended to use diet soda instead of regular soda when conducting the now famous
Mentos in soda experiment. Using concepts discussed in the article, why is diet soda the beverage of
choice when conducting this demonstration?
The diet coke likely is less viscous and therefore is less sticky substance than regular coke. Diet
coke would be easier to clean up afterwards than regular coke.

7. Hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole, and London dispersion forces are the three types of
intermolecular forces (IMF5) discussed in chemistry courses. Briefly explain each force, rank the forces
from strongest to weakest, and explain your ranking using your knowledge and understanding of
chemistry.
London dispersion forces are the weakest intermolecular force, and it’s a temporary force that
exists in every molecule. The dipole-dipole forces are of medium strength and exist between the
positive end of one polar molecule and the negative of another polar molecule. Hydrogen bonds are the
strongest IMF and they exist when a hydrogen atom is covalently bound to a O, N, or F.
8. Compare and contrast Newtonian fluids and non-Newtonian fluids and give an example of each.
The viscosity of Newtonian fluid is unaffected by the amount of shear applied but is affected by
temperature. The viscosity of non-Newtonian fluids depend on shear stress applied as well as
temperature. Water is an example of a Newtonian fluid while quicksand is a non-Newtonian fluid.

9. Suppose you were assigned the task of designing a new molasses tank for the Purity Distilling
Company. What materials/safety mechanisms would you implement in your tank to prevent a fixture
disaster?
1.) Make the walls of the tank much thicker than it was (at very least 1.6 cm on the sides and 3.4 cm
on the bottom).
2.) Use titanium instead of steel to withstand more pressure + is less brittle + is lower-maintenance
3.) Have a schedule to release the CO2 regularly so it doesn’t build up within
4.) Keep the tank in a temperature regulated area

10. Research the chemical structures of three artificial sweeteners. Do you notice any similarities
between the structure of sugar and artificial sweeteners? Would you predict the artificial sweeteners
to be as sticky or less sticky compared to sugar? Explain your reasoning.
Saccharin has a very different looking structure with two differently sized hexagons sharing one
side and is much more condensed than the sugar structure. Aspartame also has a very different looking
structure to sugar with only one hexagon and a more elongated, open shape. Sucralose has the most
similar looking structure to sugar, with two hexagon shapes and the only big difference being the types
of bonds formed on the right hexagon. The stickiness of the artificial sweeteners are likely less sticky
than sugar because all of their structures have less hydrogen bonds than the structure of sugar. Since
the artificial sweeteners have less hydrogen bonds, they have weaker IMF and therefore are more less
and less sticky.