Making+Matches

Key terms: potassium chlorate, red phosphorous, white phosphorous, friction, oxidizer, smoke, spark, flame, sustained burn. ||
 * **Formal Lab Project: Making Matches. Nathan Rice.** The purpose of this lab was to create matches that would ignite when struck on a commercial matchbox. This is done by placing a mixture of potassium chlorate with glues and powdered glass on a wooden splint. This match, when struck on a commercial matchbox, which includes red phosphorous, produces the reaction. The friction between match head and striking surface converts red phosphorous to white phosphorous which begins to combust, and the further combustion is aided by oxygen from the potassium chlorate which is a strong oxidizer. Four different match versions were created. The first version snapped in half when struck on the matchbox. The second version with a reinforced stick produced smoke. The third version with a rougher surface produced sparks and smoke. The fourth version which included powdered glass in the head produced small flames which went out too quickly to allow the rest of the head to ignite and have sustained burning. What these results show is that making a match is not difficult because of the chemicals involved, but rather how to produce enough friction to start the reaction.

Works Consulted: Bellis, Mary. "The History of Matches." //about.com: inventors// n. pag. Web. 15 Feb 2010. . Gray, Theodore. "Making the Perfect Match." //Popular Science//. 268.1 (2006): 86. Print. "Making Matches Lab." //Chemistry Experiments//. University of Washington, Web. 21 Feb 2010. . Apparatus: