gummy bears

I couldn't resist this wonderfully explosive video on YouTube showing the unfortunate end of a red gummy bear when mixed with potassium perchlorate. I do love to watch a good hissing, sparking chemical reaction. Especially when it's not me doing the sparking (see earlier blog on the art of setting one's hair on fire in a Bunsen burner.) Anyway, potassium perchlorate is made of  potassium (no surprise there), chlorine and oxygen. Its chemical formula is KCLO4, short-hand for saying it contains one atom of potassium, one of chlorine and four of oxygen. Yes, you already figured that out,  I…