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In this rather shaky Facebook video (sorry I can't provide a better link), a science teacher takes a burning beaker of something and spills it out onto the floor. It then proceeds to shoot fire out in all directions, and we can see embers burning themselves out, leaving black ash of some sort.

teacher with fire explosion!

I've seen teachers do similar stunts with alcohol fires, but those burn blue. This one is much more explosive and stays yellow.

Is there any way to tell what the teacher is using here?

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This is liquid methane, which boils at a temperature of −161 °C. (Methane can be condensed in a cold trap that is cooled with liquid nitrogen.)

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  • $\begingroup$ The power of knowing what to look for: The fourth link in a search for liquid methane is a news article about that video. Thanks for identifying it! $\endgroup$ – Bobson May 26 '15 at 3:38

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