Memory Lane: Come to the chemistry show

By SKYSEVEN Chemical Technical Team · 2026-10-13

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I taught chemistry and chemical technology for 33 years at a 2-year technical college in Texas. One of the expectations for the chemistry department was that we would do "shows" to help students get excited about science and industrial chemical applications and maybe even continue their education with our institution. My demonstrations in the 1980s and early ’90s were standard—color change reactions, liquid nitrogen, flame tests, the whoosh bottle, hydrogen balloons, methanol cannons, and so on.

Of that list, the flames and explosions were what got the attention of students. That reinforcing audience feedback led me to do bigger, greater spectacular demos. The methanol cannon, which was applied to discuss flammability and explosion limits, was one I specifically remember. What started as a small cannon made with a 250 mL plastic bottle and a cork projectile, that on ignition, would pop the cork 15 feet (4.6 m) across the room, grew into a 6-foot (1.8 m) section of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, sewer pipe with a 10-inch (25.4 cm) Nerf ball in the muzzle that would go greater than 50 feet (15 m)!

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