“There’s another way we could make it,” Uncle said. “It’s more spectacular.” He mixed the tungstic oxide with finely powdered aluminum, and then placed some sugar, some potassium perchlorate, and a little sulfuric acid on top. The sugar and perchlorate and acid took fire at once, and this in turn ignited the aluminum and tungstic oxide, which burned furiously, sending up a shower of brilliant sparks. When the sparks cleared, I saw a white-hot globule of tungsten in the crucible. “That is one of the most violent reactions there is,” said Uncle. “They call this the thermite process; you can see
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