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Answer by labsupport on question Whoosh bottle

Submitted by sat on 29 July 2019

Answer reviewed 24 November 2022

What is the whoosh bottle experiment?

The ‘Whoosh bottle’ activity demonstrates the combustion of an alcohol/air mixture. It is conducted using a 20L polycarbonate bottle with a narrow neck. When the fuel mixture is ignited it releases a large amount of energy accompanied by flames and a ‘whoosh’ sound.

This is a high-risk activity as the bottle has been known to explode, fires have been caused, and injuries have resulted under certain conditions.1,2,3 Consideration is required as to whether the educational outcomes outweigh the risks and whether it is permitted to conduct this experiment in your school jurisdiction.

There are reports of explosions occurring where:

Recommendations and safety notes

If this demonstration is to be conducted, it should only be performed by staff who are trained in the handling of flammable liquids. Science ASSIST recommends strict adherence to the following safety measures and procedure:

Note: Science ASSIST does not recommend the use of other alcohols or fuels (including methylated spirits, because the combustion products of the additives may be uncertain and/or hazardous) and strongly advises against the use of methanol due to its toxic properties.

It is important before and after the viewing of a high-risk activity, to carefully discuss the risks associated with such an activity and to discourage students from experimentation outside the school setting, to reduce the likelihood of injury.

Procedure

(We suggest conducting the demonstration in a darkened area to enhance the visual effect.)

  1. Make sure the bottle is completely dry.
  2. Add 25mL of isopropanol to the bottle and roll the bottle to coat the inside, pour out any excess and remove from the area. Wipe up any spill from the outside of the bottle.
  3. Place the bottle behind a safety shield.
  4. Light a taper and hold it over the neck of the bottle via a metre ruler to provide a safe distance.
  5. The isopropanol combusts with a whoosh sound and a yellow flame.
  6. Allow the bottle to cool, rinse out with water and completely dry before reuse.

References

1 CLEAPSS website (2017, November), ‘SRA006 – The ‘whoosh’ bottle demonstration’ https://science.cleapss.org.uk/Resource/SRA006-The-Whoosh-Bottle-Demonst... (Login required)

2 SSERC Bulletin 262, (2018, Spring ed), p. 16, ‘Whoosh bottle alert’, https://www.sserc.org.uk/publications/bulletins/262-spring-2018/

3 Minnesota Public Radio website, (2011, December 11) ‘Experts: Little oversight of Minn. classroom science labs’, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2011/12/11/class-lab-safety

4 Journal of Chemical Education, Vol. 78:1, p9, Howell, J. E,. (2001, January). ‘Initiating Proactive Safety Leadership’, ACE Publications website, https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ed078p9

5 University of Waterloo website, Gobolos, J., (2015, March), ‘Whoosh Bottle and safety discussion’, https://uwaterloo.ca/chem13-news-magazine/march-2015/feature/whoosh-bott...

6 American Chemical Society Inc website, Division of Chemical Education, (2017) ‘Safety Guidelines for Chemical Demonstrations’, https://www.divched.org/sites/ched/files/2020-05/safetyguidelinesforchem...

7 Chem Supply website, (2022) ‘Propan-2-ol’, Please search the product information on the website for the latest version of the Safety Data Sheet https://www.chemsupply.com.au

8 ThoughtCo. website, Helmenstine, A., (2019, September 17), ‘The chemical composition of rubbing alcohol’, https://www.thoughtco.com/ingredients-, in-rubbing-alcohol-603997

9 Flinn Scientific website, (2016) ‘Whoosh bottle’, https://www.flinnsci.ca/whoosh-bottle/dc10573/

10 Flinn Scientific website, Safety Fax, (2016) ‘Methyl Alcohol Safety’, https://www.flinnsci.ca/methyl-alcohol-safety/dc10497/

11 RSC Learn chemistry website, (2016) ‘The ‘whoosh’ bottle demonstration’, https://edu.rsc.org/experiments/the-whoosh-bottle-demonstration/708.article