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The Methane Mamba and Fire Bubbles

This demonstration is for educational purposes only. Do not try this at home.

Methane is one of only 13 gases that are lighter than air. Pump a little methane into soapy water, add a little fire and watch it do its dance.

With the help of a very nervous Kirk Montgomery, we demonstrated how methane bubbles grow in a tower that sways like a snake. Lighting the methane turns the tower into fire bubbles and demonstrates that methane is flammable. This demonstration is used to teach fire safety in firefighter training, because it shows the movement of flammable gases.

Read the Methane Mamba experiment for more information.

2 replies
  1. Paula
    Paula says:

    Wow, was that ever cool! My kids just love science and they even play act that they are scientists. The pretent lab coats and everything. This should have been around when I was a kid. Way to go Steve!

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] Firefighters warn of this danger using lighter fluid and of the dangers with flammable gases. Some are lighter than air and are flammable, like methane or hydrogen. Depending on conditions, these gases can ignite in a fire. A popular demonstration used by firefighters is the Methane Mamba. […]

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