Main Group Elements- Extinguishing a Magnesium Fire

Extinguishing a Magnesium Fire

Description: A small pile of magnesium is ignited on a flame-proof board. Water is squirted on it, and fire continues to burn. A source of carbon dioxide is trained on it, and the fire continues to burn. Finally sand is used to smother fire.

Source: UW Card Catalog

Year: N/A   Vol: N/A   Page: N/A

Keywords: Magnesium, Sand, Carbon dioxide, Combustion, Metal fires

Rating:

Hazard: Medium

• Flammability hazard
• Burn hazard
• Inhalation hazard
• Substances that produce flammable gases when exposed to water
• Explosion hazard

Effectiveness: Good

• Results are clearly observable without guidance
• Strong effects are seen by audience
• Low failure rate
• Time to results is low
• Counterintuitive effects
• Some connection from demo to course material

Difficulty: Medium

• Intermediate steps to results
• Experiments or demos at non-standard conditions
• Use of highly flammable reagents
• Prior training recommended

Safety Precautions:

• Eye protection required
• Gloves required
• Thermal gloves required
• Heat resistant shield required
• Heat resistant surface required
• Class D fire extinguisher on hand
• Perform in a well-ventilated area
• Downdraft hood recommended

Class: Main Group Elements, Groups IA, IIA, and IIIB (1, 2, and 13)

Division: General. Organic Chemistry

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