Elementary Productions: Dehydration of Sugar by H2SO4

The Dehydrating and oxidative properties of concentrated sulfuric acid is demonstrated

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• dehydration
• sulfuric
• acid
• sugar
• sucrose
• oxidation
• sulfur
• dioxide
• carbon
• steam
• water
• awesome
• chemistry
• interesting
• experiment
• cool
• chemical

[huskybro360]

is this what is in those cobra black snake fireworks that you light on the ground? A sugar and an acid?

[mabakken]

No, that would be Mercury Thiocyanate, or a similar compound :)

[tommmmmmmmx]

does that happen in your guts when you eat sugar?

[mabakken]

Fortunately, no.

The concentration of Acid in your stomach is far too low for a reaction like that to happen. Besides, it's not Sulfuric, but Hydrochloric acid in your stomach =)

[Ruben19902]

Fortsett og post videoer! De er alltid spennende å se på! Vær mer aktiv på WiP. Vi trenger sånne som deg, som har god erfaring og peiling:)

[mabakken]

Jo tusen takk for det :)

Problemet med WiP er at det skjelden er noen Kjemi- posts, og min erfaring i pyroteknikk er ganske begrenset, kan man si! :P

[Dri0m]

um, isn´t max.conc of h2so4 97%



[SCtiiger]

DAMN, NATURE!

[Getier2k]

bon apetit !

[Birkirrey]

@ColonCleansification

If you would have taken a bigger sip you would have been a perfect example of evolution, the guy who tastes stuff in the lab doesn't live long enough to have kids.

[ColonCleansification]

@ZibiAMVStudio2009

Yeah, I have totally tasted H2SO4.

Tastes like lemon! and afterwards the tip of my tongue was blistered.

[Bernler75]

Wow! I kinda feel the smell of that through the screen x)

I bet it smells even worse than what it looks like...

[ZibiAMVStudio2009]

I wonder if you can drink H2SO4 :)) maybe if you're an alien :))

[plaidchuck]

fascinating!

[PolarisUSMC]

You can figure it out mathematically. Sucrose is C12 H22 O11 and we already know H2(SO4).

So: C12 H22 O11 + H2(SO4) -> H2O + CO2 + SO2 + C

In balancing the chemical equation, you can then estimate in moles how much H2(SO4) you'll need to complete the reaction via limiting reagents. IIRC they're both a 1:1 ratio for the reactants. Just work out the molarity of what you'll need next and that should tell you how much you need.

[c1f234]

carbon XD