kitchen and chemistry

Tools:
4 test tube, 4 rubber stopper, bunsen, glasses, gloves

Reagents:
Fe2C2O4, steel wool

Experiment:
fill the four test tube with Fe2C2O4.H2O (yellow powder) for 1/5. Warm them singly on the flame until the development of a black residue. The eventually formed water condense on the neck should be dry up with soft filter paper. Stop carefully the test tubes ready for the experiment. After showing to the public how easily the steel wool burns in contact with the flame, turn off the bunsen and darken the room. At this point you and your assistant go to the demonstration table and, holding 2 test tubes with the stopper pointing toward the floor, uncork simoultaneously them. A gorgeous red spark rain will develops.

Enlightenment:
warming iron oxalate is developed a pirophoric mixture of FeO, Fe that reacts with air oxigen in highly exotermic reaction to give Fe2O3.