Ever wondered how science could turn out to be fun? Here's how: take a piece of paper with a mixture of sodium nitrate and sugar. When heated, sodium nitrate releases oxygen and burns sugar. Sugar alone cannot burn fast. If you want faster results, then take sodium nitrate wit ...more
Surprisingly, making your very own smoke grenade is pretty easy—and cheap. All you need is a saucepan or skillet, piezoelectric lighter, sugar and some potassium nitrate (easily available online and in most gardening stores). Simply heat the ingredients over low heat until th ...more
OK, so you don't necessarily have to make ammonium nitrate to have ammonium nitrate — ammonium nitrate can simply be obtained from fertilizers and instant cold packs. Making homemade NH4NO3 can be much more expensive then buying it, but this method is not meant to be a viable ...more
C For Chemistry delves into the chemistry of science experiments. This chemist knows what he's talking about. These chemistry experiments are not only fun, but very educational for all of those interested in scientific chemical reactions and properties. This video tutorial wi ...more
Watch this science video tutorial from Nurd Rage on how to make nitric acid. They show three ways to make nitric acid based on two different chemical approaches, both of which can be done using easily accessible materials. Warning: The procedures in this video produce large q ...more
Watch this science video tutorial from Nurd Rage on how to make a mirror silvering solution from silver nitrate, ammonia, sugar, and sodium hydroxide. Glass surfaces can be given coatings of silver that make them into mirrors. WARNING: Perform the whole science experiment in ...more
Watch this science video tutorial from Nurd Rage on how to test if a fertilizer has nitrates rather than urea or ammonia as its nitrogen source. The idea is quit simple, in a strongly acidic solution the nitrates will behave like nitric acid and dissolve copper metal releasin ...more
We're officially seeking Null Byters on a weekly basis who are willing to take the time to educate the community. Contributors will write tutorials, which will be featured on the Null Byte blog, as well as the front page of WonderHowTo (IF up to par, of course). There is no ne ...more
The video describes an easy at home process for making smoke bombs. The items you will need are as follows: 1- Potassium Nitrate 2- Sugar 3- Baking Soda 4- Organic Powdered Dye 5- Duct Tape 6- Firework Fuses 7- Card Tube 8- Small piece(s) of wool 9- Ink Pen First, mix your ...more
Watch this science video tutorial from Nurd Rage on how to make potassium permanganate with Dr. Lithium with potassium nitrate and manganese dioxide. WARNING: This experiment deals with very high temperatures in glass equipment. Face shields and protection against shattering ...more
Add some fizzle and sizzle to bath time with a homemade bath bomb. Bath bombs make great holiday or birthday gifts. You will need: 1 c. baking soda 1/2 c. cornstarch 1/2 c. citric acid 2 1/2 tbsp. sweet almond oil 1/8 c. distilled water 6 drops of the essential oil of your ch ...more
Watch this science video tutorial from Nurd Rage on how to make fire 4 ways without matches by using chemistry, without matches or lighters. WARNING: These experiments are for educational purposes only and are not meant to be repeated. First, a small mount of potassium perma ...more
When you think of frozen foods, you're probably picturing an image of calorie bomb Hungry Man TV dinners or jumbo-sized Klondike bars. But frozen foods can be a lot healthier than you think. Frozen meals save time and certain brands (like Lean Cuisine) offer low calorie meals ...more
Put pre-mix into bowl. Add whole mustard seed, coriander, fresh ground pepper, and liquid smoke for flavor. You can also add half a teaspoon of hot pepper mix to make it spicy. For meat, use 1/3 ground chuck and 2/3 hamburger; some fat is necessary for a good sausage. Next, ad ...more
I finally got around to trying out another one of Will's mad science experiments and found out that this one was actually more satisfying (and less frustrating) than my slightly uncooperative jar jet. There's something very pleasing about making potassium nitrate at home in th ...more
Old newspapers come in handy for many different uses around the house, from birdcage liners to shipping cushioning and even a little fish cooking. But for backyard rocket scientists like Markus Bindhammer, they're more suitable as an ingredient for rocket propellant. Video: . ...more
Pyromania is definitely nothing new on WonderHowTo. From flamethrowers and hydrogen fireballs, to flame-making pistons and wine corks, to simply burning steel wool fireworks and DIY smoke mix, we've covered it all. But when pyromaniacal mad scientists feel the need to release ...more
It's easy to take the food we eat for granted, but the truth is, there are a lot of bizarre, wonderful, and just plain weird things about what we eat and drink, the effects it has on our bodies, and vice-versa. Read on to learn how bugs provide food dye, the Japanese grow squa ...more
I grew up in a household where bacon was considered its own necessary food group. My mom saved the bacon fat in a jar and reused it in other dishes, which my friends considered vile, unless they were also from immigrant families or the American South, where saving bacon fat ha ...more