If a plain pile of sugar (or a sugar cube) is heated with a torch, it just melts and gives off smoke. However, if some paper or wood ashes are added, it burns quite easily. What are the ingredients of the wood ash that allow this to happen? If I just used sodium carbonate instead of wood ash, would it work as well?
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
2
asked Aug 28, 2016 at 1:58
-
4$\begingroup$ Yes. It just keeps the sugar from melting into a closed surface. $\endgroup$– KarlCommented Aug 28, 2016 at 8:40
-
1$\begingroup$ According to an old book I once had, the catalyst is potassium oxide. Sodium carbonate probably won't work, but potassium carbonate should do the trick. $\endgroup$– vapidCommented Aug 28, 2016 at 8:49
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
1
I was taught at school that this is caused by lithium carbonate, which acts as a catalyst. No doubt, everybody knows there are sodium and potassium salts in wood ash as well so, unless this was a mistake in a textbook (15 years ago, and the textbook may have been older than this), sodium carbonate will not work.
-
$\begingroup$ I was taught the same, and I doubt it. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 15 at 7:35