Mrs.

Hunter Jivung
Lab Partner: Harleen Pandher
Gavneet Sandhu
Priya Dhillion

Mind Blowing Money

January 20th, 2015, Tuesday

Formula: 1 C2H5OH + 4 O2 2 CO2 + 3 H2O + energy

Purpose: The purpose of this lab was too see if a solution of 99% Isopropyl alcohol mixed with water
could prevent a bill from burning and if so why?
Independent variable: One dollar American bill.
Dependant variable: Alcohol
Introduction: In this lab we observed the burning money very closely. We found out that the burning
money needed to be soaked into the solution to create a barrier from the flame.
The water
helped keep the bill damp because when the heat of the flame burned off
the isopropyl
there was not enough heat to burn of the water, thus creating an
inflammable bill. Finally,
we learned that a combustion reaction was taking place
which involved a reaction with
alcohol and oxygen and gives rise to carbon dioxide and
water.
Materials:

(1) 99% Isopropyl alcohol (50 ml)

(2) One American dollar bill
(3) Matches
(4) Water (50 ml)
(5) Two small beakers
(6) Paper towels
(7) Stir rod
(8) One large beaker
(9) Tongs

Procedure:

1. Aprons and goggles on and long hair tied up. Proceed only when the teacher is
present.

slow
the

2. Start by preparing a water-alcohol mixture by combining 50 mL of water and

50 mL of the isopropyl alcohol. (The alcohol is flammable and the water is not.
Water is usually used to put out fires. When the fire is lit, the water will
down the chemical reaction by taking away heat.) Using the stir rod, stir
mixture together thoroughly.
3. Using the tongs, take the bill and put it in the mixture. Let it soak for about a
minute and then carefully remove it. DO NOT TOUCH THE MIXTURE WITH
YOUR HANDS.
4. Move the mixture to a safe place away from where you are going to light the
bill.

5. Hold one end of the bill with tongs and light the bottom of the bill. The money
will look like its burning, but really, it isn't. The alcohol is just burning away and
the water is remaining behind.
Observations:

Before

During

After
-

Normal
wet (damp)
Dry
Green (colour)
green

- bill thoroughly soaked

- not as

- still green
- not warm from fire
- no visible changes
- still

There was no change in colour after setting the bill on fire. The bill felt less
soaked after it was burned. It appeared to colder and stiffer after the
experiment. The bill was on fire for a second or two.
Analysis: In this lab we experimented by setting an American bill on fire which was soaked into
a solution of 99% Isopropyl alcohol (molar mass= 60.1g/mol) and water (molar
mass=
18.01528 g/mol). We researched further and found that the American dollar is
made
15% out of linen (synthetic fibres) and 75% cotton. When the bill is soaked in
the
solution, the alcohol has a high vapour pressure than the water and is located
mainly on
the outside of the bill. Compounds with high vapour pressure are easily
evaporated at
normal temperature and form high concentration of vapour above the
liquid. (An
Alcohol burn at low relative temperature at which the isopropyl alcohol
burns [53C]
isnt high enough to evaporate the water out of the bill). The rubbing
alcohol is
flammable (ability to catch fire) when we added fire to the bill,
we put the alcohol on
fire not the paper money. When the fire ran out of rubbing
alcohol to burn up, the fire
died out (ran out of fuel). Fire chemical reaction and
chemical reactions only last as
long as the chemicals last. We also added water
to the mixture (water isnt a flammable
liquid generally used to put out the fire). Water
can stop fires chemical reaction by
taking away heat. So when the alcohol was all
used up by flames they couldnt
continue the reaction because the dollar
bill was wet and not dry.
Conclusion: At the end we concluded that the rubbing alcohol and water mixture protected the
bill from burning. They both played a part in the reaction that was occurring.
Isopropyl burned out by the heat of the flame and the water made the
bill damp
preventing it from burning. It was pretty interesting watching two
household items
being combined to create a mixture that would prevent your
money from burning.