Q&A for How to Make a Smoke Bomb out of Household Materials

You can use magnesium nitrate instead. They can substitute each other in most formulas.

No. The fuel here is carbon, which is provided by the sugar. Salt is used to put out fires, so naturally it wouldn't work.

If you make one of the smoke mixes that makes a peanut butter consistency slurry, you could saturate a candle wick with the slurry, or you could use a tooth pick, and coat it in the mixture. Either one will ignite with a lighter.

Yes, but you would need to change the formula a bit. There are tutorials online on how to make all kinds of smoke bombs.

No, you need an oxidizing agent. NaCl (a.k.a common salt) is not an oxidizing agent.

You can get potassium nitrate from stump remover or cold packs from your local Lowe's.

If you don't know what are you doing, no. You could make your smoke bomb toxic.

Most simply, it is a salt composed of potassium and nitric acid.

You can find potassium nitrate in stump removers, also in cold packs. And most stores with a gardening section will have some.

No, as that is a different chemical compound altogether.

No the tinfoil is simply something to mold it into. If you’re pouring it into, say an aluminum can, it would not need tinfoil. So basically, if your mold is a solid sturdy container, you not need the tinfoil.