Playing with Fire

Students in chemistry perform flame lab

In+the+palm+of+his+hands++%5C%5C+Participating+in+a+chemistry+experiment%2C+sophomore+Colton+Fisher+lit+bubbles+on+fire+to+study+certain+chemical+reactions+Dec.+2.+

photo credit: Ciera Tanner

In the palm of his hands \\ Participating in a chemistry experiment, sophomore Colton Fisher lit bubbles on fire to study certain chemical reactions Dec. 2.

writer: Jeanne Laugesen, Staff Reporter

Wearing safety glasses ready for the experiment to begin, students in Mr. Paul Dhillon’s second period chemistry conducted a flame experiment Dec. 1, where they held fire in their hands without getting burned.

Mr. Dhillon set the experiment up in a sink, which he filled with soapy water. Students were then called up to perform the experiment.

“He told us to put our hands in the water, go under the bubbles and pick as much water as you could,” sophomore Jose Sanchez said.

After picking up the soapy water and holding the bubbles, the students waited for the experiment to begin.

“Mr. Dhillon put gas in the water and a huge flame appeared,” sophomore Zachary Woodard said.

The students’ hands were wet, since they put them down in soapy water. Wet hands will prevent the bubbles from popping when putting a flame near them.

“I wasn’t scared because my teacher said it wouldn’t burn,” Woodard said.

Some students volunteered to conduct the experiment multiple times.

“Having fire in your hand was a little scary at first. I tried it three to four times,” Sanchez said.

While the students had fun conducting the experiment, they also learned a great deal.

“I learned what type of reactions different chemicals can make,” sophomore Dylan Colbert said.