Sugar (Sucrose) Reacting with Sulfuric Acid
Sucrose or common table sugar is mixed with concentrated sulfuric acid. The mixture is then stirred and an exothermic reaction (produces heat!) takes places. The sugar begins to turn brown and then a column of carbon rises from the beaker and a cloud of steam and sulfur dioxide is produced. Concentrated sulfuric acid dehydrates sucrose to produce carbon and water according to the reaction above. The heat of the reaction vaporizes the water causing the column of carbon to form.
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