Pharaohs Snake

Mercury(II) thiocyanate Hg(SCN)2) is an inorganic chemical compound, the salt of Hg2+ and the thiocyanate anion.
2 HSCN + HgO Hg(SCN)2 + H2O (Berzelius)
Hg(NO3)2 (aq) + 2 KSCN (aq) Hg(SCN)2 (s) + 2KNO3 (aq) (Whler)

When the compound is in the presence of a strong heat source, a rapid exothermic reaction is started which produces a large mass of coiling serpent-like solid.

Pharaohs Snake
For some time, a firework product called "Pharaoschlangen" was available to the public in Germany, but was eventually banned when the toxic properties of the product were discovered through the death of several children mistakenly eating the resulting solid. A similar, though less extreme, effect to the Pharaoh's serpent can be achieved using a firework known as a black snake. These are generally benign products, usually consisting of sodium bicarbonate or a mixture of linseed oil and naphthalenes.

Cool Chemical Volcano

Ammonium dichromate is the inorganic compound with the formula (NH4)2Cr2O7. Ammonium dichromate is sometimes known as Vesuvian Fire. The volcano demonstration involves igniting a pile of the salt, which initiates the following exothermic conversion:

(NH4)2Cr2O7 (s) Cr2O3 (s) + N2 (g) + 4 H2O (g) (H=429.1 3 kcal/mol)

Cool Chemical Volcano

It has been used in pyrotechnics and in the early days of photography as well as in lithography, as a source of pure nitrogen in the laboratory, and as a catalyst. It is also used as a mordant for dyeing pigments, in the manufacturing of alizarin, chrome alum, leather tanning and oil purification. Photosensitive films containing PVA, ammonium dichromate, and a phosphor are spin-coated as aqueous slurries in the production of the phosphor raster of television screens and other devices.

Orange Tornado
KI is a precursor to silver iodide (AgI) an important chemical in photography. KI is a component in some disinfectants and hair treatment hair chemicals. Used as a fluorescence quenching agent in biomedical research, an application that takes advantage of collision quenching of fluorescent substances by the iodide ion.

Orange Tornado
Potassium iodide is a component in the electrolyte of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) along with iodine. The major uses of KI include use as a nutritional supplement in animal feeds and also the human diet. Used for radiation protection. Used Treatment for some diseases.