IProposeWe: Make Fireballs that are Cool Enough to Touch!

Links:
How to Make a Fireball
Step-by-Step Video Tutorial



Materials:

2" x 5" strip of cotton cloth

A cotton threaded needle

Lighter fluid (must be naphtha or kerosene)

Lighter or matches

There are two procedures to this experiment. First, the creation of the ball itself...

Procedure:
1. Thread the needle.
2. Fold the cotton strip into a ball and pierce it with the needle.
3. Wrap the thread around the ball. Pierce the ball one more time and break the thread.

And of the fireball:
1. Place the ball on a fire proof surface, such as a pan or our chemistry tables.
2. Soak the ball with lighter fluid, being careful to avoid hands or clothing.
3. Pick up the ball with tongs before putting it in your hand (to check if the ball is indeed too hot to touch, but it shouldn't).
4. Hold the ball while rotating it in your hand to avoid burning.
5. Put out the fireball when the cotton starts to become black and burn.
6. To blow out the fire, you need to blow on it hard or suppress the fire (by putting the lid on the frying pan, for example).

Safety Precautions:

Avoid synthetic material such as nylon. These will burn and melt.

Avoid holding the ball when the fire begins to consume the cotton or it will be too hot to hold.

Scientific Principles:
1. This is a reaction of combustion, meaning oxygen is a reactant (the air) and carbon dioxide and water are products.
2. This is an exothermic reaction. Energy, in the form of heat, is being released.