From the Department of Junior High Chemistry
Printed in last Thursday's SF Chronicle's CORRECTIONS column –which I read religiously, which is to say occasionally:
Clarification:
A story Tuesday about a congressional hearing inaccurately stated that adding sodium bicarbonate and citric acid to water causes an explosion. Sodium dropped into water is extremely explosive, whereas sodium bicarbonate and citric acid in water is merely effervescent.
–and refreshing!
I imagine all the disappointed young mad scientists' faces, peering squinty-eyed through the sites of their emptied super soakers, baking soda boxes and piles of lemon rinds at their feet, waiting for the varsity football team's equipment storage shed to erupt.
I know, I know, exploding school buildings aren't as funny as they used to be. But in my day they were pretty funny, and that's speaking as someone whose own elementary school exploded to bits one day over winter break because of a gas leak. That was a LONG winter break.
