Cheeseburger in Hydrochloric Acid - part of our "Berzelius Day" uploading 24 videos in 24 hours. Full video containing this reaction at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NddZ5ftQb0Q NOTE FROM THE PROFESSOR: This reaction is a big mess, which is why it looks so funny. The underlying chemistry is hydrolysis (reaction of an organic compound with water) which is catalysed by the acid. The starch in the bun is hydrolysed to make first sugars (such a glucose) and then a complicated mixture of breakdown products. The fats in the cheese and the meat are probably hydrolysed too. The physical structure of the meat will be destroyed and some of the proteins will be denatured (their folding is disrupted) if not actually broken down. In the end, it's probably better just to enjoy the reaction than to worry too much about the chemistry. Just have fun!! See our 24 reactions playlist as it unfolds at: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6E4F35510525FFF7 Berzelius Day explained: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDXUDq2KLM4 More chemistry at http://www.periodicvideos.com/ Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/periodicvideos And on Twitter at http://twitter.com/periodicvideos From the School of Chemistry at The University of Nottingham: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/chemistry/index.aspx Periodic Videos films are by video journalist Brady Haran http://www.bradyharan.com/