Explanation:

PERFORM Magic Tricks With FIRE

Make a Sparkler

Bubbles

Crystals

Chemical Reactions



 Several chemical reactions result in combustion, WITHOUT requiring additional help from a match to get them going. Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images

byAnne MARIE Helmenstine, Ph.D. 

Updated June 08, 2018

No matches or lighter are needed to start a fire. Here are four ways to make one using chemical reactions. Each of these techniques is simple and requires only three chemicals each.

Chemical Fire #1

Potassium permanganate

Glycerin

Water

Add a few drops of glycerin to a few crystals of potassium permanganate. Accelerate the reaction by adding a couple of drops of water.

Chemical Fire #2

Acetone

SULFURIC acid

Potassium permanganate

Soak a tissue with acetone to make it more flammable. Next, draw sulfuric acid into a glass pipette. Dip the pipette into potassium permanganate so that the tip of the pipette is coated with a few crystals. Dispense the sulfuric acid onto the tissue. The potassium permanganate and sulfuric acid will mix to produce manganese heptoxide and fire