Josh, Makenna and I decided to take magic to the next level and find out what really happens when these illusions take place. We decided to research what’s behind burning money. First we discovered that we had to soak the money in isopropyl alcohol which makes it so flammable. We also had to soak it in water though, so the money wouldn’t actually burn. The flame goes out once all the alcohol is burnt off, and isn’t strong enough to evaporate the water so the money is protected. This was a very interesting experiment to research, and makes a complex-looking magic trick very simple.

 

Lab Report

Burning money

 

Research:

Isopropyl alcohol is extremely flammable and when the bill is soaked in the solution, it is the alcohol that burns. The water in the solution is there to prevent the bill from burning, with no water, or too little the bill will burn. The alcohol burning temperature is not hot enough to evaporate the water, so the bill stays wet and doesn’t heat up to its ignition temperature (233oC).

 

Procedure :

  1. Pour 100mL of water and 100mL of isopropyl alcohol into a beaker.
  2. Fill another beaker with water (to extinguish the fire if needed )
  3. Add a pinch of table salt into the solution and mix until dissolved.
  4. Using tongs, soak the bill in the isopropyl alcohol solution
  5. Remove the bill, letting any excess liquid drain back into the cup, then carefully ignite the bottom of the bill on fire.

 

Chemical reaction:

A combustion reaction occurs between isopropyl alcohol and oxygen gas, producing carbon dioxide and water.

 

The equation for this reaction is:

C2H5OH + O2 -> CO2 + H2O

 

Balanced equation:

 

C2H5OH + 4O2 -> 2CO2 + 3H2O

 

The table salt is a colorant, therefore it is not part of the equation.

Outcome

The outcome of the experiment was that the isopropyl alcohol burned leaving the money untouched. The bill was wet from the water, which did not evaporate because the burning temperature of the isopropyl alcohol is not that high. The bill ended up even being cold to the touch immediately after the experiment. The experiment went as planned, and the outcome was the same as our proposed outcome.

How it is magic

The experiment is “magic” because the money appears to be on fire, however it does not end up burning. Anyone who is watching the “magic trick”, will most likely not know the scientific reasoning to what is happening. Without knowing the chemical reaction behind the experiment, it’s very easy to think that the actual bill is on fire. The isopropyl alcohol is transparent and colourless, making it hard to tell that it is being set on fire. Once all the alcohol is burned up, the money is left completely intact. The audience could not tell that the bill was not being burned, so they are left believing that magic did all the work.