In date 9th February 2008 we have challenged the metallic sodium to explode.

We did not suceeded (so far), but we enjoyed ourselves very much the pink colour, the flares, the sparkles and an intermitting flames.

To reproduce all this videos all you need is:

Metal sodium

Water-Alchoolic phenolphtalein

Ether

Water

A gas lighter

A knife to cut sodium

Normal glassware

Enjoy yourself!!

At last it get burnt

...produce sparkles

The reaction with water produces a strong base that turns deeppink phenolphtalein

...

This funny - up and down - behaviour of sodium is explained by the bubbles of hydrogen that uplift the bit of sodium. When hydrogen escapes in the air the gravity compels sodium to fall back in the water layer where it reacts and start a new cycle. Sodium doesn't get overheated and remains solid.

We can collect hydrogen gas through an upsided pasteur pipette. If we light that gas escaping from the nozzle, we get an intermitting flame corresponding to the intermitting reaction of sodium with water from the previous video.