German version
| Supermarket products: |
| EMCURŽ Bad Emser Pastillen (Emser Salt), without menthol, 1 pill contains: 126 mg of mineral salt mixture of "Thermal Spring Salt" (Bad Ems GmbH, Germany) Analysis dates: Ions in g/kg: sodium 290, potassium 6, chloride 190, bicarbonat 475, sulfate 9, sucrose, tragant, calcium behenate, stearic acid, flavors. |
| EMCURŽ Bad Emser Pastillen (Emser Salt), without sugar
1 pill contains: 126 mg of mineral salt mixture of "Thermal Spring Salt" (Bad Ems GmbH, Germany) isomalte, aspartame, calcium stearate, natural peppermint flavor, phenyl alanine) |
Chemicals and materials:
| spirit
| sea sand
| fire place match |
Experimental procedure: The bottoms of two watch glasses are covered with sea sand. Two "Emser Pastilles" (one with sugar, the other without sugar) are vertically placed into the sand. The sand soaked with spirit is ignited. Results: While burning, the pastille containing sugar blows itself up and rises slowly from the watch glass like a "black snake". From the pastille without sugar only a short black stub develops. 
Video clip (Download RealPlayer .rm file) |
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Discussion and background:
The "Emser Pastilles" consist substantially of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). While heating, the pastilles release carbon dioxide, which blows up the sugar slime of the sugar-containing pastille to form a voluminous black product. The formation of the slime is caused by gelatine, tragant (mixture of different polysaccharides) and by the long chain n-docosane acid. Due to the release of CO2 the organic components of the "Emser Pastilles" do not combust completely. The sucrose of the sugar-containing pastille is carbonized.
Index of Lecture Experiments
