Normally, I am the one that teaches the children.

I get all the "fun" stuff: Addition, division, the anatomy of an earthworm, prepositional phrases, creating "keys" for home-drawn maps of the United States...

I even get to be the "bad guy". It is I who assigns work for my "students"... and I correct work, too, sometimes leaving a child a little grumbly with the results.

But Daddy? -- He's the one they all flock to. He gets to do things like make fire with the children... using just a drop of water!

This afternoon, before my husband left for work, the children and I again gathered around for a chemistry experiment.

He has been purchasing various chemicals to perform a number of experiments. It's been interesting! Some experiments have been a "flop" (like the isoprophyl alcohol-based temperature thermometer, last week), but others have been exciting, even amusing!

So, out came the sensitive, digital weight gauge... and three chemicals:

Ammonium Nitrate	14.0 grams
Ammonium Chloride	1.5 grams
Zinc Dust	34.5 grams

Using an old spoon set aside for such uses, the precise measuring began. Gaelin, 11, stirred the powdery mixture in a toss-away tupperware, while we others sat and watched.

Moving to a safer location, Gaelin was instructed to wet his hands. Then, one single drop was allowed to drip onto the mixture that Dad had poured out onto the ground before Gaelin moved quickly away.

None of us knew what to expect! -- All of a sudden there was an ignition, a sizzling and ... an EXPLOSION of green fire!

United Nuclear (http://www.unitednuclear.com/negx.htm)  notes:

Grind the Ammonium Nitrate and the Ammonium Chloride together in a mortar & pestle until they are a fine powder. Once the remaining chemical, Zinc Dust, is added, this composition will become extremely water sensitive. It is suggested that before you add the required amount of Zinc Dust, you move your experiment outdoors just in case accidental ignition occurs. As always, gloves and eye protection are called for.

Note that as soon as all the components are mixed, it will become extremely water sensitive!

Even a tiny amount of water will ignite the mixture. You must use this composition immediately
after it is made - DO NOT STORE IT - for any length of time, and do not mix it with other chemicals.
It's recommended to only mix this formula & conduct this experiment outside.

Take about a teaspoon full of the mixture and make a small pile of it on the ground. Make sure the ground is dry and that there are no flammable materials nearby (dry grass, paper, etc.).
Press a little indentation into the top of the pile and add a drop of water.
QUICKLY STAND BACK!
 In a second or so it will bubble, hiss and smoke, and instantly burst into a blue-green flame.

WARNING
Don't store this mixture, it will eventually absorb enough water from the air to ignite on its own.
Use all that you make each time.
Do Not make large quantities at one time.
This is NOT something you want to mix on a rainy day.

Wow!

Even I  was impressed!

"Do it again, Dad!" the children cried.

So... once again he and Gaelin put together the mixture, brought it outdoors to the parking easement, and did just that!

Here's the chemical reaction that takes place:

1. Cl- (from NH4CL) acts as a catalyst on the decomposition of NH4NO3:

Cl-

NH4NO3-----------------> N2O(g) + 2 (H2O)(aq)

2. Water in the reaction causes the decomposition of more NH4NO3, which is an autocatalytic effect.

3. The reaction melts the NH4NO3 and allows the oxidation of the zinc. The overall reaction is:

Zn (s) + NH4NO3 (s)------> N2 (g) + ZnO (s) + 2 (H2O) (g)

No wonder the youngsters all think Daddy's "schooling" is better than Mom's!

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Shared by mulberrylane

My Dh isn't super involved with school, but he does the outdoor schooling ( the farm work and includes the girls... they love it and they flock to Dh seeing if they can help again each day). Today he took over a conversation with my oldest... as we were talking about college plans and he just took over and got his computer out and went surfing and had my daughter all interested and I was left to just sit and smile. Actually, I got myself a hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows and settled in to enjoy it until they were through. LOL. I am glad when he is able to join in or even take over... the only subject so far that I can get him to take over is SPELLING... which is funny cuz he's an awful speller, but the girls love Dad's funny ways of remembering how to spell a word. Yes, they enjoy Dad's school more than mom's. *sigh* But then he's not around a whole lot, so I am glad they get some happy times with their Dad. I don't have those memories of my own Dad growing up. Wish I did.
Warmly, ~Melissa

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