The ‘whoosh’ bottle demonstration

Large plastic water bottle required for whoosh bottle demonstration.

Source: © Shutterstock

This exciting demonstration is a combustion reaction where a mixture of alcohol and air in a large bottle is ignited. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

The experiment demonstrates dramatically just how much chemical energy is released from such a small quantity of fuel. A single demonstration will take 5–10 minutes. Repeat demonstrations will require either the drying out of the reaction vessel used for the first demonstration or spare dry reaction vessels. 

Make your lessons pop

Choose an account option to continue exploring our full range of articles and teaching resources

Free

Free access for everyone, everywhere. If you only need a few resources, start here.


What's included

  • One free teaching resource each month
  • Five free Education in Chemistry articles each month
  • Personalised email alerts and bookmarks