jpsmith123
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Thermite "Experiments"
Here's a video I came across showing some thermite in action. The first "experiment" is sort of lame, but the others with the car are interesting.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7231843493488769585...
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Darkblade48
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Ah, this video. I think it'll inspire too many kewls, but then again, that's my opinion.
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jpsmith123
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Now that you mention it, it seems the two guys using the thermite do look a little kewlish.
Oh well, if it weren't for "kewls", you wouldn't be able to meaningfully describe yourself as not being a "kewl"...just think about it that way...
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nitro-genes
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It's from a british television program called braniac...They also use this purple paste for boobytraps, that explodes on the slightest touch when dry.
But to their saying it is completely safe when wet. The composition was kept secret but they did mention it to contain ammonia and iodine ...
How kewlish is that!
[Edited on 27-4-2006 by nitro-genes]
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praseodym
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wow, nice scenes, would be excellent if we know the composition of the substance. Anyway, yup, i think brainiac is quite a nice show, cheesy yet
scientific.
Alles sollte so einfach wie möglich gemacht werden aber nicht einfacher.
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rot
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The 'purple past' is made when concentrated ammonia acts on iodine, the compound is called Ammonium Triiodide and when pure it's formula is NI3, but
when made from ammonia the formula is NI3.NH3. It's the most sensitive explosive known to man, but it's not very dangeroes because it's perfectly
stable when wet and it's not very powerful.
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Darkblade48
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rot
but it's not very dangeroes because it's perfectly stable when wet and it's not very powerful. |
From Wikipedia....
| Quote: | | While still wet, nitrogen triiodide is safer to handle than the dry compound, but is still prone to spontaneous explosion. |
In addition, I wouldn't say it's "not very dangerous", people might start getting some ideas...
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nitro-genes
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rot
The 'purple past' is made when concentrated ammonia acts on iodine, the compound is called Ammonium Triiodide and when pure it's formula is NI3, but
when made from ammonia the formula is NI3.NH3. It's the most sensitive explosive known to man, but it's not very dangeroes because it's perfectly
stable when wet and it's not very powerful. |
I know it must have been this complex, I was just beeing cynical, because like darkblade said it cannot be really safe even when wet... I personally
had a few milligrams of ammoinium triiodide detonating under water in a eppendorf tube once. It was made with PA grade ammonia and iodine. I put the
tube in boiling water and suddenly POP!....So carrying a can full of it arround like they do seems a tad odd.
I wonder if they use some special stabiliser of some kind with this paste....
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Swany
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| Quote: | Originally posted by nitro-genes
...I wonder if they use some special stabiliser of some kind with this paste.... |
Somehow I doubt it. Even the kids at Totse think the show is a bunch of kewls....
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rot
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I even doubt if the can they carried arround was actually full of the stuff.
Most of the brainiac shit is crap, I recall seeing an 'experiment' where they put a line of gunpowder from below a car to where they were standing,
they lit the gunpowder with a bunsen burner and as the BP flame passed under the car it exploded in spectacular fashion. I don't think that's
possible, they just put an H.E. of some sort in that car.
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a_bab
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"NI3.NH3. It's the most sensitive explosive known to man"
Who told you that? There are others like silver nitride which is so sensitive that it explodes underwater when rubbed.
[Edited on 27-4-2006 by a_bab]
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chemoleo
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Not exactly 'science' either that requires 'brainiacs', just some wannabe kewls who think that buying thermites, and burning cars are the coolest
thing anyone with a brain could do
Aside from this, I have my doubts about the validty of their 'experiments', when it comes to blowing up the petrol tank. The tank is quite thick, and
to melt through so instantaneously seems rather strange. See the small hole it makes on the engine surface? Most of the metal simply runs off. Why
should it then enter the car, go through the cushions, through some more metal, and then linger long enough on the tank to melt through it?
Kewls. Their stupid pretentios costumes say it all. 
Never Stop to Begin, and Never Begin to Stop...
Tolerance is good. But not with the intolerant! (Wilhelm Busch)
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12AX7
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Without a doubt they use explosives to doctor up things from time to time. I don't see why anyone would want to argue them, it's purely
entertainment, conducted with a Mythbusters-esque scientific twist which is quite refreshing and lemony. It shows that science isn't boring old guys
doing math on slow results, it actually has some curious, silly, exciting things to be discovered. It's more, I would guess, young teenager oriented,
more entertainment and less formality than Mythbusters, filling a need. Hell, if anything, you should be extolling its virtues- it may well entice a
few kids to follow science as a career.
Tim
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chemoleo
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I don't think blowing up old cars is something young teens should be encouraged to do... I am sorry to say, in England some people douse cars in
petrol, and watch it burn. You could call that science... or a nasty destructive trait, little fuckwits that need a serious slapping to sort them out.
Admittedly this may have been an old car...but so what? It's gonna sit there, spoil the landscape and so on, and everyone will say, 'it's not my car',
so it will sit there forever. This may be fine in a place like america, where wastelands are common... .but here.. there simply isnt the space for
such things.
I don't think that the merit of science has to be demonstrated with poor acts of destructionism, or even small-scale pollution/vandalism. There
certainly are ways to demonstrate it in enticing ways, be it rockets, or shaped charges, or colourful changes in Mn oxidation states, or high voltage
experiments.... but calling this science to 'entice' young aspiring teenagers to become scientists is just ridiculous.
Well that's my take on it anyway. Just go on burning your own cars, if you think that makes you a scientist
Never Stop to Begin, and Never Begin to Stop...
Tolerance is good. But not with the intolerant! (Wilhelm Busch)
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Mr. Wizard
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Chemoleo, the US isn't a wasteland filled with old car hulks. They are worth too much money, and would soon disappear into the local scrap-yard
shedder. I do agree with you it sends the wrong message to burn or blow up cars. Maybe we could give the benefit of doubt to the show's producers,
and hope they cleaned up their mess.
Looking at the big picture, maybe you are seeing the media's effort to appeal to the 'lowest common denominator' 
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DeAdFX
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What the US is to old cars the UK is to Chav's. Except chavs are worthless and will hopefully vanish from the face of the earth.
2nd off this blowing up stuff is way to hollywoodish. Like we need some ass clown making a huge mushroom cloud out of black powder and a drum of
gasoline :rolleyes:
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Chris The Great
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The show is a bunch of kewls 
However, that doesn't mean blowing up an old car wouldn't be fun
See what a pop bottle filled with methyl nitrate can do to the old thing (taking cover would probably be very well advised).
What worries me about it is that they're promoting blowing up a car as science, which it is not. Making the pop bottles worth of methyl nitrate would
be science, demolishing the car is not.
And it probably sent a bunch of k3Wls out googling thermite so they can wreak their petty revenge on someone's car or whatever. Just what we need.
| Quote: | | Even the kids at Totse think the show is a bunch of kewls.... |
LOL! Now THAT is pretty harsh!
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praseodym
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Well, here is another video showing the sensitivity of NI3
Alles sollte so einfach wie möglich gemacht werden aber nicht einfacher.
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hinz
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There are much more scientific and funnier ways to destroy a car. For example this on:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/37927/master_blasters/
What I don't understand why they don't use some metal sheets and compare the dept of the hole which the thermite burns in. If they would buy and use
thermite for the prize, the car had costed the show effect wouldn't be bad either. Why do they waste several meters of fuse, 1/10 of the lenght would
also do the thing. I think those guys don't have any knowlegde of pyrotechnic and only want to look dangerous.
[Edited on 28-4-2006 by hinz]
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12AX7
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You're interpreting it wrong. The car connects the experiment to the familiar, and the thermite brings the excitement to the science. Hence,
entertainment. It's not edutainment, but it could lead to it. No one wants to see a boring synthesis, but they are happy enough to see what it
produces.
Oh, and how many people -- on this board, or even you know personally yourself -- have said they got into science as a result of "kewl" activities
such as pyrotechnics?
I hate people who say "watching it encourages doing". People who say Beavis and Butthead, well TV in general, movies, metal, rap and video games make
people do respective negative things should be shot dead. Few of these actively tell a person to do the acts; almost all of them show the
consequences of it (pain, jail, death) and many show morally correct actions and consequences such as justice. Not only that, but it releases one's
fantasy, to live the excitement of the heist or chase vicariously, without suffering the consequences.
Mmm'k? End tirade? Doubtful, unfortunately...sigh...
Tim
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