Internet Version [Naruhodo no Mori] Vol. 9

by Yumiko Mori

Toshi " I saw pictures of steel wool fireworks in a book when I went to the library. They looked impressive. Shall we try them? "
Tae: " Toshi, the guests are here. Do we still go ahead for the experiment?"
Toshi: " I secretly asked Daniel a few minutes ago, and he said he likes playing with fire."

We've altogether made "fireworks" from steel wool pads.

Toshi: "Please make sure each person can have 3 pieces"
Tae: " Just in case, let's bring a bucket of water here."
Toshi and Tae look a bit excited since the guests are here.

Tae: "Oh, they are spectacular! "
Toshi: " They just look like sparklers! "
Tae: " But they are finished so quickly. "
Toshi: " Why don't you put your piece into this cup? "
Tae: " Woo! Great! Pretty! But why? Can you tell me the secret for this? "
Toshi: "Yes. There is oxygen in the cup. "
Daniel: " O-x-y-g-e-n (in English) "
Toshi: " Let's make a much longer one this time! "
The fireworks play continued until late at night.

Materials

• A steel wool pad (Get a pad without soap.)

• 20 bamboo skewers (or steel wire as substitutes)

• A candle

• Matches

• Several cups (Larger sizes are desirable.)

• Hydroperoxide 200 mL (You can probably obtain from a drug store.)

• Pork liver (100 grams (~ a quarter pound) should be sufficient.)

• Kitchen wrapper

Methods

Required time: 30 minutes, including preparation time

1. Cut a steel wool pad into about 20 small pieces. Better to do this on a newspaper, since a lot of tiny scraps may come out during the cutting task.

2. Stretch pieces of steel wool widely.

3. Stick a bamboo skewer into a stretched steel wool and then fold the wool around the skewer.

4. Bend the end of the skewer in order to prevent the steel wool from slipping off.

<If you want to make oxygen for more enjoyment>

1. Place a pork liver into a big-sized cup.

2. Pour hydroperoxyde into the cup until the liver is almost immersed.

3. Bubbles should come out from the liver. The bubbles are oxygen gas. Oxygen is necessary when things are burnt.

4. Cover the cup with a piece of wrapper. Shake the cup gently in order to break off bubbles attached to the liver.

5. After lighting the steel wool fireworks, put the fireworks carefully into the cup. Don't worry losing the oxygen gas. The oxygen is heavier than the air, so that it only dissipates slowly.

• Since this experiment requires fire, adults must supervise. Have a bucket of water just in case. Avoid this experiment on a windy day.

• Check what's happened to the burnt steel wool afterwards. Steel wool is made of iron. It is hard to burn a lump of iron, but filament-like iron can be burnt easily. Chemically speaking, when burnt iron is converted into ironoxide.

• To make steel wool fireworks which can last for longer time, you may cut a steel wool pad into larger pieces and stretch them into long thin filaments.

• You may want sprinkle the tiny scraps (which came out on the newspaper)into a candle flame. You'll see sparkles.

• Pork livers contain an enzyme called catalase which causes the production of oxygen bubbles. When you get bleeding from injury, you may see bubbles coming out from the bleeding spot. Those bubbles are also oxygen produced by the same enzyme.

   Children like to play with fire! I wonder why my children like to play with fire. I asked them and they answered "because fire is beautiful and also warm". Ancient people found a god in fire. I am not sure if my children have felt the presence of a fire god. When we watched fire in the totally darkness, even I was fashinated with its beauty. Why don't you have such a fashinating time with your children?

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