For this independent lab, we decided to answer the question of if it is possible to set a dollar bill on fire without actually damaging it. I got this idea after search the internet for a fun chemistry we could do. The website where we got the information about the lab described it as a magic trick.
Honestly, the biggest reason I did this lab was because I thought it would be cool seeing a dollar bill being set on fire like it's worth nothing to me. But then like a phoenix, it emerges from flames intact and unscathed.
Foolishly, I decided to risk my own dollar for this lab.
We first got a beaker and created a solution of around 50 ml of water, a few squirts of ethanol, and a pinch of salt. The salt is there to help produce a visible flame.
Since we hoped to create a flame, we had to go outside to preform the lab. We held the dollar with a pair of thongs and then drenched it inside the solution.
Honestly, the biggest reason I did this lab was because I thought it would be cool seeing a dollar bill being set on fire like it's worth nothing to me. But then like a phoenix, it emerges from flames intact and unscathed.
Foolishly, I decided to risk my own dollar for this lab.
We first got a beaker and created a solution of around 50 ml of water, a few squirts of ethanol, and a pinch of salt. The salt is there to help produce a visible flame.
Since we hoped to create a flame, we had to go outside to preform the lab. We held the dollar with a pair of thongs and then drenched it inside the solution.
Then after finally sparking up a flame with the lighter, we tried to set the dollar on fire. We were very excited to see what exactly would happen.
The fire could not spread across the dollar as we hoped.
The first attempt can only be described as an absolute failure. Our hopes were a bit damaged, but we did not give up. We altered the solution to contain more ethanol to help make the dollar more flammable. We also changed our location to the teacher's kitchen in order to easily produce a flame from the lighter.
The first attempt can only be described as an absolute failure. Our hopes were a bit damaged, but we did not give up. We altered the solution to contain more ethanol to help make the dollar more flammable. We also changed our location to the teacher's kitchen in order to easily produce a flame from the lighter.
This time, we were actually able to set the dollar on fire. The glorious flame spread across the entire dollar. We thought we were going to be successful. However, the fire continued to burn and started to consume the dollar. The fire was suppose to just disappear and leave the dollar undamaged.
I had lost a dollar that I could have spent on a soda.
This lab was not successful at all. I was really confident, at first, that we would complete this lab successfully with out any troubles. However, the lab resulted in me losing my dollar. I still thought it looked cool seeing the dollar being consumed by fire, by it was still a big waste.
What had occurred here was a combustion reaction, which is when the Oxygen (O2) in the air reacts with anything. In this case, it was between Oxygen and the Ethanol (C2H5OH) that the dollar was soaked in. This reaction produces Carbon Dioxide, Water, and the heat and light (Energy).
Here is the equation for the reaction:
C2H5OH + 4 O2 -> 2 CO2 + 3 H2O + Energy
This means that when the dollar is set on fire, it is the ethanol on the outside of the dollar that actually burns. The temperature of the ethanol burning is not high enough to evaporate water. This leaves the dollar to remain wet and unable to catch on fire. Of course, this is what was suppose to happen with our lab.
The results we got from this lab were not desirable. The dollar was suppose to be left intact and undamaged from the fire. I believe that we had failed because the solution we used did not contain enough water to stop the dollar from burning. The website we used for instructions even stated "If you reduce the amount of water in the mixture, the paper money is likely to char or even catch fire." This was our biggest mistake during the lab.
I thought I did really well in this lab despite it failing. I was the one who wrote the lab's proposal and sacrificed a dollar for it. I also worked efficiently to find all the materials and set everything up. I made sure to learn about everything that was going on in the lab so that I could explain it to anyone if they had questions.
For this lab, I worked with Franky. We worked really well together. We were able to complete this lab together efficiently and successfully. No arguments took place between us because we were able to communicate with each other very well.
If I were to do this lab again, I would use a solution that contained more water. I am confident that this would give better results and would not burn my dollar. I would also use someone else dollar just in case it failed again.
I worked well with Franky. We work together a lot in labs so we already knew we would be able to work efficiently.
There are not really anyway of continuing this lab besides actually doing it correctly. I sort of do actually want to do this lab again so that I could have the chance to be successful. However, I am a bit discouraged because I would be risking more money.
The most important thing this lab did was teach me a lesson about failure. I learned that not every lab you do will turn out successfully with desirable results. It also helped teach me to learn from the mistakes I made. I learned I made the mistake of not putting enough water in the solution.
This lab was not successful at all. I was really confident, at first, that we would complete this lab successfully with out any troubles. However, the lab resulted in me losing my dollar. I still thought it looked cool seeing the dollar being consumed by fire, by it was still a big waste.
What had occurred here was a combustion reaction, which is when the Oxygen (O2) in the air reacts with anything. In this case, it was between Oxygen and the Ethanol (C2H5OH) that the dollar was soaked in. This reaction produces Carbon Dioxide, Water, and the heat and light (Energy).
Here is the equation for the reaction:
C2H5OH + 4 O2 -> 2 CO2 + 3 H2O + Energy
This means that when the dollar is set on fire, it is the ethanol on the outside of the dollar that actually burns. The temperature of the ethanol burning is not high enough to evaporate water. This leaves the dollar to remain wet and unable to catch on fire. Of course, this is what was suppose to happen with our lab.
The results we got from this lab were not desirable. The dollar was suppose to be left intact and undamaged from the fire. I believe that we had failed because the solution we used did not contain enough water to stop the dollar from burning. The website we used for instructions even stated "If you reduce the amount of water in the mixture, the paper money is likely to char or even catch fire." This was our biggest mistake during the lab.
I thought I did really well in this lab despite it failing. I was the one who wrote the lab's proposal and sacrificed a dollar for it. I also worked efficiently to find all the materials and set everything up. I made sure to learn about everything that was going on in the lab so that I could explain it to anyone if they had questions.
For this lab, I worked with Franky. We worked really well together. We were able to complete this lab together efficiently and successfully. No arguments took place between us because we were able to communicate with each other very well.
If I were to do this lab again, I would use a solution that contained more water. I am confident that this would give better results and would not burn my dollar. I would also use someone else dollar just in case it failed again.
I worked well with Franky. We work together a lot in labs so we already knew we would be able to work efficiently.
There are not really anyway of continuing this lab besides actually doing it correctly. I sort of do actually want to do this lab again so that I could have the chance to be successful. However, I am a bit discouraged because I would be risking more money.
The most important thing this lab did was teach me a lesson about failure. I learned that not every lab you do will turn out successfully with desirable results. It also helped teach me to learn from the mistakes I made. I learned I made the mistake of not putting enough water in the solution.