Whoosh Bottle

Purpose:

To demonstrate a rapid combustion reaction that shows the large amount of chemical energy released when igniting an alcohol.

Materials:

• Empty plastic 1 gallon bottle (“Whoosh bottle”)
• Ethanol squirt bottle
• Lighter
• Rubber stopper that fits bottle

Reagents:

• Ethanol (EtOH)

Hazards and PPE:

• Ethanol is flammable and should be handled with care. Be sure to move the ethanol squirt bottle and any excess ethanol a safe distance away from the bottle when lighting it.
• Wear approved safety goggles and gloves.

Protocol:

Demonstration

1. Make sure the bottle you’re using is completely dry – even very small amounts of water in the bottle may ruin the effect.
2. Pour 40mL ethanol into the whoosh bottle and tightly cap it with a stopper.
3. Vigorously shake the bottle for at least 15 seconds.
4. Put the bottle on its side and quickly roll it back and forth for another 15 seconds – the goal is to coat as much of the interior of the bottle as possible with ethanol as well as to evenly mix up air and ethanol gas contained in the bottle.
5. Open the bottle and pour out excess ethanol
   1. then quickly re-cap the bottle to retain as much vapor as possible.
6. When ready to perform the demonstration:
   1. Quickly remove the stopper and use the lighter to create a spark at the mouth of the bottle.
   2. This will create a whooshing noise as well as a wave of blue flame progressing from the mouth of the bottle inwards.

Additional Notes:

• This demo can also be performed with an equal volume of isopropanol.

Disposal:

• Ethanol will evaporate, so no disposal procedure is necessary.

Reactions:

• CH₃CH₂OH_(l) + 3O_2(g) + ΔH → 2CO_2(g) + 3H₂O_(g)

Citations:

1. This demo adapted from the demo library of the Chemistry department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Videos:

• Whoosh Bottle

  Flinn Scientific

  If you wish to use a larger volume vessel as depicted in this video, it is a good idea to use a clear plastic shield similar to the one shown for audience safety.