Canned Heat: Alcohol Gels
A four-photo sequence: The first photo shows a hand pouring clear liquid from a beaker into a second beaker with cloudy liquid. In the second photo, a hand holds a beaker with cloudy liquid. In the third photo, a hand tilts a beaker with gray substance, and gray substance is poured onto a dark surface. In the fourth photo, a hand holds a lit match next to the solid gray mass on the dark surface.
Description: Alcohol is gelled with a saturated calcium acetate solution to make a “sterno.” The sterno is lit with a match.
This demonstration is also available on video and JCE Software “Chemistry Comes Alive!” Vol. 2 CD-Rom.
Source: Shakhashiri, B.Z. Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry
Keywords: Canned heat, Gel, Sterno, Calcium acetate
Rating: 
Hazard: Some
- Flammability hazard
- Acute toxicity hazard
- Aquatic toxicity hazard
- Eye irritation
Effectiveness: Average
- Results are clearly observable without guidance
- Low failure rate
- Time to results is low
- Some connection from demo to course material
Difficulty: Medium
- Use of flammable substances
- Procedures with some intermediate steps to result
- Simple manipulations for most to perform
Safety Precautions:
- Eye protection is required
- ABC fire extinguisher on hand
- No flammable materials nearby
- Gloves are required
- Perform in a well-ventilated area
- Flame resistant surface required
Class: Intermolecular Forces, Properties of Solutions, Physical Chemistry
Division: General
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