I thought the smoking fingers trick looked very cool, but before trying it myself, I wanted to learn a little more about what is on the striking surface of safety match boxes. Safety matches are 'safe' because they don't spontaneously combust. You have to strike them against a special surface in order to get them to ignite. The match heads contain sulfur (sometimes antimony III sulfide) and oxidizing agents (usually potassium chlorate), with powdered glass, colorants, fillers, and a binder made of glue and starch. The striking surface consists of powdered glass or silica (sand), red phosphorus, binder, and filler. When you strike a safety match, the glass-on-glass friction generates heat, converting a small amount of red phosphorus to white phosphorus vapor. White phosphorus spontaneously ignites, decomposing potassium chlorate and liberating oxygen. At this point, the sulfur starts to burn, which ignites the wood of the match.So what happens during the smoking fingers trick? I'm still working on that, but I would assume when you burn the striker, the powdered glass is going to be collected on the cold faucet (you really don't want to breathe in powdered glass). I think the binder and filler will burn to ash. What I wonder is what happens to the phosphorus. I would not think white phosphorus (highly toxic) would be collected on the faucet because the transition from white to red phosphorus occurs when you heat white phosphorus in its own vapor to 250°C and because white phosphorus ignites in air to become phosphorus pentoxide. Phosphorus pentoxide sublimates, but it reacts with any small amount of water to form phosphoric acid. I know the smoking finger trick turns fingers orange and produces a distinctive odor. I recognize it, but haven't... um.. put my finger on it yet. It could be that it's white phosphorus that is collected, since when white phosphorus burns, phosphorus pentoxide is a white fume with an irritating odor (white phosphorus smells a little like garlic). That reaction also supposedly glows without generating heat. If you know the reaction that is occurring, please post a comment. In any case, I would not assume the chemicals or reaction are safe and healthy. White phosphorus is readily absorbed through the skin and is very poisonous.
History of Matches | State of Matter of Fire
Comments
I came loking for a newer formula for glow sticks, but the smoking glowing fingers is a great trick. Since I need a source of pure phosporus to mix with the bleach and hydo peroxide, this might be with using. Any thoughts?
I just tried the match trick and it worked just as shown on youtube videos. I was somewhat surprised that the brown residue on the faucet was some kind of oil or grease instead of char or powder. It certainly is not glass. I have not tried looking for a glow yet.
Yes, indeed, it has a very unpleasant bizarre odor. I have never smelled anything like that before and I have done a lot of experimenting with things that burn. I am the type who enjoys the smell of burning matches and things like that but the smell of this stuff was so weird that my intuition made me wonder if it is toxic.
The smell was also very difficult to wash off of my finger and thumb.
I am interested in trying this some more but I think I will try putting the residue on a piece of cardboard or something and rub them together.
hello. this does work. i know cuz i did it for a science fair project and it was aswome!!
Tank you
Folks, she’s saying that you’re dealing with a toxic substance that WILL enter your system when you inhale and through the skin. So don’t do this. Cool trick, but don’t do it.