Ammonium Dichromate Volcano

We're doing the unit on the Earth in Physical Science so I always
have to do my Ammonium Dichromate "volcano" when we get to this unit.
We go outside these days as I've been banished from doing anything with
fire inside the building (something about the fire alarms going off
one too many times.). Just as well as this one does smell a bit.
(Really better to do this one in a well ventilated area!).

You can get Ammonium Dichromate from HomeTrainingTools.com

I just used an ethyl alcohol (LONG) soaked paper towel as a fuse.
I used to use a Magnesium strip as many sites do as a fuse (it is
very spectacular) but may be burning my eyeballs out so I've stopped
doing that. (It is extremely bright. Magnesium is used in sparklers.)
You do have to use something that will get very hot. A Bunsen
burner will also work if you happen to have one laying around.

http://www.chem.uiuc.edu/clcwebsite/ammvol.html

Go to above link to watch this on a video. It's really neat.
The pile starts out fairly small and just keeps growing and growing (sort
of like a volcano.)
The stuff that is left is extremely powdery and I have to threaten
the students NOT to blow on it as I don't want to have to clean it up.

Ammonium Dichromate is ORANGE btw. You can see a bit of it in the first
picture. I should have taken a before photo so you could see!
It ends up green powder.

Chris