How to make some noise with matches
5How to make noise with matches
Those matches have ~ 50% Potassium Chlorate mixed with other ingredients like sulphur and glue.
Using a screwdriver you can easily harvest some powder located on the matches' heads.
Although they're made from different materials than gunpowder, matches contain the same kinds of ingredients necessary for fire, which explains why (in the right quantities) they can be as explosive. Specifically, these ingredients are an igniter, a fuel and an oxidizer. In a match, these roles are played by red phosphorus, sulfur and potassium chlorate, respectively.
Phosphorus is the star of the show when it comes to igniting a match. It is unstable, sensitive and volatile. This is especially true for white phosphorus, which can ignite spontaneously in the air and was used in early matches. Modern matches use an allotrope of the same element called red phosphorus. But the white variety still makes a cameo: The friction that results from striking against powdered glass generates enough heat to convert some of the red phosphorus to white phosphorus.
Slowly mix the two powders, but be careful: the mixture is really impact sensitive !
Phosphorus alone would make a spectacular (but brief) one-man show. To sustain itself, the flame needs something to burn and more oxygen than it can get from the air. The fuel, sulfur and the oxidizing agent, potassium chlorate, work together in their capacities. The heat generated from the phosphorus is enough to break down potassium chlorate, and in the process, it releases oxygen. This oxygen combines with sulfur, allowing the flame to thrive long enough for us to light a candle or barbecue.
Kids, DO NOT TRY this at home without an adult supervision ! And remember: wear safety glasses !