Grain+Elevator-Khaja

Materials: Goggles Coffee can (with a hole on the side) Lycopodium powder Tube Matches Candle Funnel

5. Blow in the other end of the tube.
Explanation: Lycopodium powder is a yellow powder that can be very flammable or not depending on how much there is and how much there is clumped together. The lycopodium powder that is used in is dispersed into fine powder it becomes very flammable and highly explosive. For the exact same reason that is why grain elevators explode. When the powder is clumped together it does not allow for oxygen to squeeze in between the lycopodium powder so it will not burn, but once it is dispersed there is room for oxygen to get in between the powder so it becomes very flammable. Since the surface area is increased there is more room available for combustion which can be very dangerous in real life situations. this experiment does not burn very well when it is used clumped together. When the lycopodium powder Some reasons a grain silo might spark could be due to friction, a match, or any open flame. Once there is one explosion in a grain silo, there are bound to be many more. It only takes one little explosion to set off a series of explosions and bring a grain silo down to the ground. In order to help prevent grain silo explosions there are exhaust fans to pull out any dust in the silo. Since there is no dust in the silo there can be sparks and it would be safe. Without any dust in the silo, there is no threat of an explosion due to the surface area reduction.

Real Life Applications Gasoline Nitrous Oxide Lighter Fluid Deodorant Spray







Resources "Burning Lycopodium Powder: Simulating a Grain Elevator Explosion." Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .

"Dust Explosion." //HowStuffWorks//. HowStuffWorks, Inc, 30 Oct. 2008. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .

"Grain Elevator Explosion." //Grain Elevator Explosion//. Utah State Office of Education, 7 Aug. 2000. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .