First Experiment

The purpose of this part of the experiment was to compare the properties of match made with water versus that made with vinegar. The match tested was soaked in either water or vinegar saturated with potassium Nitrate (KNO3). I wanted to see which burned faster at different humidities, and which was most resistant to rain.

I used 1/4" Ace brand cotton sash cord, with the nylon core removed prior to experiment (said nylon core makes wonderful spider webs for Halloween).

The match soaked in water has knots in the ends.
The match soaked for 10 minutes has red thread on one end.
The match soaked for 1 hour has blue thread on one end.
The match soaked for 24 hours has no thread on the end.

From left to right, the cords are:

water, 10 minutes
water, 1 hour
water, 24 hours
vinegar, 24 hours
vinegar, 1 hour
vineger, 10 minutes

The experiment was conducted during a pouring rainstorm on January 23, 2000, at the Chabot gun range in the hills behind Hayward, CA.

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