# Smoke from fingertips? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 1999, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523 "1999-09-27T00:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 1999, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523/1 "1999-09-27T00:45:00Z")
I was reading an old science experiment book, and one of the experiments was about creating smoke from your fingertips. The experiment went like this: Get a box of matches, and peel the paper with the striking surface off. Peel the layers of paper away untill you get just the strike surface and very little of the paper backing. Place it on a metal surface (with the red phosphorus side down), and light the paper (well it doesn’t burn really so you have to heat it with a flame). After the paper is burned a resin like residue should be left on the metal. Then, you wipe up some of it onto your fingers and rub your fingers together. When you start rubbing smoke should start coming off of your fingers in wisps. Well, I tried it and it does work. I am wondering, what is the residue, and why does it ‘smoke’ when friction is applied? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 1999, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523/2 "1999-09-27T00:58:00Z")
We used to do this when I was a kid, and it does work. No idea why, but thanks for the memories. I’d try it right now, but I only have butane lighters. Sigh. 🙂 Peace, mangeorge * * * Work like you don’t need the money… Love like you’ve never been hurt… Dance like nobody’s watching! …(Paraphrased) ---
**Author:** ![AuraSeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AuraSeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuraSeer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 1999, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523/3 "1999-09-27T01:31:00Z")
The stuff you put on your fingers is a sort of gooey residue. When you rub your fingers, the goo dries out and stretches into filaments; these are very thin and have a low density, so they tend to break off and float away on air currents. If you do it right, it looks like wisps of smoke are floating from your fingers. * * * Laugh hard; it’s a long way to the bank. ---
**Author:** ![Melatonin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@Melatonin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melatonin)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 1999, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523/4 "1999-09-27T01:52:00Z")
I wanna try that! Too bad I have no metal surfaces around me- only soft, padded ones. * * * Life is short. Make fun of it. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 1999, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523/5 "1999-09-27T02:00:00Z")
I remember going to magic shops when I was a kid and buying little tubes of goo that used to do this trick. Must have been the same stuff. Wonder what it’s called? Magic smoking goo, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 1999, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523/6 "1999-09-27T03:38:00Z")
I used to buy those little tubes of goo, too. Don’t remember what it was called, but it stank to high heaven, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 1999, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523/7 "1999-09-27T06:03:00Z")
And how soon do your fingertips fall off afterward? Ray (non-smoker) ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 1999, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523/8 "1999-09-27T13:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > And how soon do your fingertips fall off afterward? NanoRay, you should know better! They don’t fall off, they get tumors! Smoking causes _cancer_, not rot. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 1999, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523/9 "1999-09-27T14:42:00Z")
’ I remember going to magic shops when I was a kid and buying little tubes of goo that used to do this trick. Must have been the same stuff. Wonder what it’s called? Magic smoking goo, I guess.’ Me too. That stuff took forever to get off, too. Also, don’t ya all forget that red phosphorous is extremely toxic. ---
**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 1999, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523/10 "1999-09-27T20:11:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Also, don’t ya all forget that red phosphorous is extremely toxic. Thanks handy, and all of this time I have been cleaning the dried residue off by licking it off. Thanks man, you saved my life! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoke-from-fingertips/3523/11 "1999-09-28T15:26:00Z")
Yep, sure enough dude, right from the web: ‘phosphorus §, nonmetallic element, discovered c.1674 by Hennig Brand. It is an extremely poisonous,red, yellow to white, waxy, solid substance’