Potassium Chlorate and Sugar: The "Instant Fire" Reaction

In this reaction a mixture of potassium chlorate and sugar is initiated with a few drops of concentrated sulfuric acid. Once started, the reaction occurs very rapidly; in fact the entire video runs for only 18 seconds. Potassium chlorate is a powerful oxidizing agent, due to the fact that it contains chlorine in the +5 oxidation state. Furthermore, it readily decomposes into potasium chloride and oxygen gas when heated. Potassium chlorate is used, among other things, as an oxidizer in fireworks.

A few drops of concentrated sulfuric acid is added to a a mixture of potassium chlorarte and sugar.	The reaction begins
The reaction proceeds more rapidly.	The violet color of the flame is to the excitation of potassium ions; you get the same pink-violet color from a potassium flame test
Dying down	The end result - a hot and glowing pile of carbon. What a mess!

Hazards: Reactions such as this should only be performed by porfessional chemists. As you can see potassium chlorate is a powerful oxidizing agent; this is one reagent that should be handled with a great deal of respect.

Download the video here
(Windows AVI format, Video9 compression)

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