Hooked on Science: Orange flash

You might eat an orange as a healthy snack, but did you know an orange is actually flammable?

Materials

• Orange
• Candle

Instructions

STEP 1: Have an adult light the candle while you peel the orange.

STEP 2: Hold a piece of the peeling with the outside of the peeling close to the flame, squeeze and observe.

Explanation

The peeling contains orange oil, which is created by the cells within the rind of an orange. Orange oil gives the orange its unique smell and is flammable. As you squeeze the peeling, the oil sprays into the flame creating a flash. This oil is used in flavoring, insecticide, air fresheners and cleaning products.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments.