Filming Chemistry Practicals for Maximum Visual Impact

 Filming Chemistry Practicals for Maximum Visual Impact

How Much Force Does the Whoosh Bottle Really Produce?
#ChemistryInAction #ScienceFilming #PhilipMRussellLtd #GCSEChemistry #AlevelChemistry

We’ve all seen it—the iconic Whoosh Bottle demo.
A splash of ethanol, a swirl, a match… and FOOMPH!
A spectacular flame shoots up, leaving students wide-eyed and slightly singed in spirit.

But at Philip M Russell Ltd, we want to go further than just a wow moment. We want to measure it.
How much force does it actually produce?
How fast is the flame front moving?
What happens in slow motion?
And can we visualise the pressure wave?

That’s why this week, we’re filming the Whoosh Bottle like never before—with high-speed cameras, multiple angles, PASCO sensors, and a script that brings both the chemistry and the physics to life.

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🎥 Capturing Chemistry with Cameras

To get the most out of this demo visually and scientifically, we’re combining:

• Slow-motion footage to capture flame expansion and ignition

• Sound and light sensors to time the ignition and analyse energy release

• Force sensors and pressure gauges to investigate the impulse produced

• Multiple camera angles (including overhead and side-mounted GoPros)

• Green screen overlays for explaining the reaction mechanism live

And yes, we’ve built a rig to hold everything steady—and safely away from the heat!

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🔬 The Science Behind the Flame

The Whoosh Bottle demo involves the combustion of ethanol vapour in a large plastic container.
The balanced equation is:

$$\text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{OH} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{CO}_2 + 3\text{H}_2\text{O}$$

This reaction is highly exothermic, producing heat, expanding gases, and a rapid flame front. But how much impulse does that create? Enough to lift the bottle? Push a piston? Set off a chain reaction?

We’re about to find out.

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🎓 Teaching Points Covered

Our video and lesson plan based on the experiment will cover:

• Combustion reactions and enthalpy changes

• Reaction kinetics – vapour mixing, ignition delay

• Pressure and volume – using the gas laws

• Energy transfer and impulse – force over time

• Safety and ignition risk assessments

And we’re doing it all in a way that students will see, hear, and remember.

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🧪 Beyond the Bang

The Whoosh Bottle isn’t just about noise and fire (although that helps). It’s about modelling energy transfer, exploring experimental design, and making science thrilling but measurable.

And when filmed well? It becomes not just a demo—but a mini-documentary or most probably several mini documentaries. - some shorts to capture the imagination..

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Coming soon to our YouTube channel: The Physics of the Whoosh Bottle.
💥 Science, sensors, and slow-mo combustion at its best.
Stay tuned.

#ScienceWithImpact #ChemistryPractical #WhooshBottle #FilmingScience #ScienceOutreach #PhilipMRussellLtd #TeachingChemistry #GCSEScience #STEMVideos