Krakatoa Tubes - Periodic Table of Videos

[RoMMeL1337ak47]

i used to do something like this but with CO2 cartridges and black powder wrapped in aluminum foil. all tho the steal wont shatter like the glass did.

[05017351]

I'm so trying that in the lab Monday!!!

[AlphaKiloFive]

"Do not attempt this yourself"

No problem, I asked my little brother to hold the tube at arms length over our blow torch. He can be so helpful sometimes !

[0B00BY0]

Take your headphones off !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Yndin]

Single natural event changed sunsets for years but if you leave light on for no reason you're killing us all! :P

[miesrah12]

you know i had learn this in core music class. This was supposedly dealing with the science of sound

[QuantumDisciple7]

hotter than red hot? Damn

[dtp5150]

these scientists are obsolete

[spotlightman1234]

I was nearly blinded in a manner similar to this. On 2/19/09 I was about 13. I was cooking, when a small tobasco bottle filled partly with baking soda rolled in to the burner. It heated and started to crack, I heard something so I went to look at it, as soon as I looked at, it exploded in to many shards, a few went in to my face, and one went in to my eye. I had to be rushed to the ER. they were barely able to save the eye. My eye sight in my left eye is now permanently damaged .

[chopperboi89]

Difference between American Scientists and English Scientists:

English: "I think that was fairly satisfying and a good demonstration of a mechanical explosion."

American: "That was awesome! Want to do it again? Let's try a bigger one!"

Haha. :)

[Diamonddavej]

Minerals often contain trapped bubbles of liquid-gas (called fluid inclusion) under enormous pressures (equivalent to miles underground, where they were formed).

They're usually small and harmless. But occasionally, when a mineral contains large fluid inclusions and it's heated e.g. by display case spotlights - a big fluid inclusion can explode violently.

A glass shelf was destroyed at the Tuscon mineral show by an exploding Aquamarine in 2006...

See "the case of the exploding aquamarines"

[jessechen998]

I wanna do this now.

[karlsruheprotestful]

MY EARRSSSSS!!!!

[pepsibookcat]

This reminds me of how way back when I was taking organic chem lab as an undergrad, an idiot a few lab benches over corked a flask of alcohol over a Bunsen burner. It exploded, and hot glass shards flew everywhere. We all reflexively hit the floor and rolled under our lab benches.

Suffice to say, the idiot failed the class.

[plokipoiuy]

holy crap it scared the shit out of me at 0:10

[steadfast1984]

id love to see that with a super high speed camera.

[bobadybooX]

i got scared when it explodes!

[MrGuitarZeppelin]

Anyone else think of Spongebob?

[spotlightman1234]

@MrGuitarZeppelin I can finally touch my toes!

[fats106]

FKING SCARED THE SHIT OUTTA ME AT THE START WITH MY VOLUME AT MAX.

[Khaielaash94]

A video about titration? :) That was what I meant to type before accidentally pressing send. :p

[Khaielaash94]

Hi there, I love all your videos! Hope you're all wellover there! I was wondering if you could do a cid

[AllAtheism]

It would be interesting to fill the tube with a flammable substance such as methanol or acetone... It might be a bit of a problem sealing the tube... Maybe ordinary vegetable oil would work while not lighting up when attempting to seal the glass tube.

[MrPax90]

I was in the lecture theatre next door practicing a presentation, it truely sounded like a gunshot o.O Didn't know the origin of that sound until I watched the video...

[theslowmoguys]

Blimey, I think even our cameras would struggle with that!

[periodicvideos]

@theslowmoguys well you're welcome to try... we have a few things waiting for you!

[Kesh789]

@theslowmoguys Please try to flim it

[DreamPharaoh]

I am scared to death there may be unnoticed water every time I pour molten metal into a cast. Here these guys are doing it for fun... I am humbled.

[EA78751]

I love the content of these videos but I frequently hear the word experiment used incorrectly. These activities are demonstrations, not experiments.

[periodicvideos]

@EA78751 we're demonstrating something that was once an experiment (there must have been a first person who said "I wonder what happens if I heat the sealed tube)

At what point does an experiment stop being an experiment and become a demonstration?

Careful how you answer... it might make you sound a bit snobbish about science! :)

I think it's an experiment with a little "e" - we're still doing something to see what happens and recording the results?

[EA78751]

@periodicvideos I think most folks would agree that there is nothing experimental about repeating a procedure just to observe its known results. No one calls it an experiment to put water in the freezer just to make ice cubes. I think we are in danger of misleading students into thinking that any 'science-y' activity can be properly labeled an experiment. I dont want to sound pompous and over-educated but I wanted to make this point. Looking forward to more videos :-)

[periodicvideos]

@EA78751 well you do sound SLIGHTLY pompous... a lot of people have never seen Krakatoa Tubes so for them the results are far from known.... Just like for a young child putting water in the freezer would be new and experimental...

You don't sound over-educated (is there such a thing?)... maybe just pedantic and with a very "traditional" view of what constitutes an experiment!

You write polite and well-constructed comments though - so that's refreshing! :)

[sargonnasftw]

Jim Gamble: "I think that was very satisfying" :D

- I love British humour.

[kanjitard]

Jim Gamble is a great name for an explosions expert.

[Franchifis]

isn't it very dangerous to have invisible glass shards in the air you breathe?

[TheFounderUtopia]

@Franchifis

Probably no worse than a day at the beach.

[biain93]

We need the slomo guys to do this one

[spinseffing]

I wanna say the heating of the glass has to have a large impact on the speed the glass cracks at. Any way to get the liquid almost hot enough without heating the glass?

[ksimmonsASU1]

@spinseffing microwave

[Ivanhoe2011]

11,111th viewer :D

[thegamer589]

what camera do you use for the high speed

[chopperboi89]

No cleaning for Neil then, eh?

[MarkusNemesis]

@chopperboi89 Yes actually! He has to go find every tiny bit of glass!

[soundofgeek]

As a kid I used to do something similar with soda bulbs - little metal capsules filled with high-pressure CO2, sold cheaply in supermarkets as sources of CO2 for carbonation of drinks. Small thick-walled metal cup with a bit of petrol in the bottom - sit the soda bulb in it, light the petrol, retreat to a safe distance (in hindsight I'm impressed that we were so cautious), and wait for the boom.

Good fun, though it's very much a try-at-own-risk kinda thing.

[frosty956]

I was lucky in primary school to have an excelent science teacher: one demonstration involvolved launching an empty milo tin about 50 metres into the air by sealing it and heating with a small amount of water in it...

[maurotamm]

ypu could co-op with some of the people in YouTube who make a lot of slow-mo videos - they usually have access to very high speed cameras.

[Muscleduck]

At work we have to heat dichloromethane in sealed glass tubes to 85°C sometimes. I've seen one explode once when I dropped it, and once when a lid blew and they make nice thuds.

[dismutased]

We used to employ a similar principle with our exploding eppendorf tubes in the lab. A bit of dry ice, pop it into the tube, seal it and throw it over the balcony into a bush along the footpath. Then casually watch for the next minute or so until someone went past and BANG!! I always keeled over with laughter!

[theend1245]

Terrorists we ll love this.

[progunist]

:]

[johnclavis]

We don't need our neighbors to hear these videos, thanks...

[chavling]

Can this experiment produce a breathing hazard, as the explosion may have generated a small cloud of very fine glass shards?

[FrozenHaxor2]

Lies!! Neil is explosions guru!

[AlanKey86]

Listening to this with headphones.

That'll learn me.

[nwanda69]

you really need a phantom high speed camera or something like that, that's what was needed in our lab last year when some visitors videoed a hammer hitting nitroglycerin in slow motion. great video though!!

[CzarAdam2009]

@nwanda69

I want to see the nitroglycerin-hammer vid! :D

[nwanda69]

@CzarAdam2009 youtube won't allow me to post the video here, but my supervisor made it about a year ago with the bbc, it's "nitroglycerine detonation filmed slo-mo" if you are searching for it, enjoy

[DMGDx]

invest in a high speed camera.

[periodicvideos]

@DMGDx the narrow shot is filmed at 1200fps

It was a very fast explosion!

[shadowblack1987]

@periodicvideos LOL!!! Should have rented a HSC.

The latest HSC are rated at around 500,000 fps with usable IQ.

[poofnsauce]

@periodicvideos yea I realized that almost immediately (because I have a similar camera) that is insane that even then the explosion was shorter then 1 frame (1/1200 of a second)!

[BYMYSYD]

@DMGDx

I think that was with a high speed camera.

[shyrwinsteelsia]

@DMGDx you are not listening to the professor. you should have known it was a high speed camera.

[XioNilrem]

I might be wrong but, wasn't that volcano (mentioned) considered one of the loudest noises ever heard on Earth? Like, people over very far distances heard it and many actually went deaf because of it (if close enough). Perhaps it was an urban legend though.

[BarneySaysHi]

@XioNilrem I believe the loudest explosion ever heard was an atomic explosion (around 270 dB). That said, if the whole volcano of Krakatao was blown apart these two kinds of explosions will rival.

[yoshinibble123]

The background to Edvard Munch's painting 'The scream' is also supposedly a sunset caused by Krakatoa.

[paprmastr232]

if the glass was destroyed like that, wouldnt there be specs of glass floating around in the classroom after that experiment? wouldnt that be dangerous?

[doverlin]

@paprmastr232 Perhaps. Fiberglass is dangerous at microscopic sizes. I'd love to hear why this experiment is safe in a classroom. Even with glass shields, the dust must have permeated the room.

[TheXajfa]

no dislikes :DD

[TheSpankymonkey]

Got to love the physics lessons on this wonderful chemistry channel. :-)

[taofledermaus]

I did a similar test but used a can of beans. It was a bad idea to do it, because the can exploded like a grenade. But.. it was interesting to see the energy and how every bean vapourised into dust. I would say even if this was filmed at 25000 FPS, the explosion of the glass tube would still be very fast. I'll have to ask Ultraslo to lend us a hand.

[1RadicalOne]

The general consensus is that the initial explosions, which were volcanic in nature, tore the magma chamber open, allowing the ocean to flood in, causing a much larger explosion due to direct contact between seawater and superheated magma.

[mcharest24]

Somebody should start a fund to gather money so periodicvideo can afford a high speed camera!

[periodicvideos]

@mcharest24 we'd happily accept one... we did film it at 300 and I think 600 or 1200 fps (that is what you see in the video) but need to really upgrade for explosions that fast!!!)

[DivergentMind]

It turns out you can do the same thing with sugar water and brewers yeast in a sealed glass jug.

Guess how I know..... =)

[meggawatts]

That Guy looks like my old chem teacher!

[greenpogo]

wait what? who has a camera that can do 1000 fps... is that even possible?

[jeebersjumpincryst]

@greenpogo yes - super fast speeds successfully captured 'sprites', those mysterious, immense 'upwards' lightning discharges in the upper atmosphere.

[talshiarr]

@greenpogo There are cameras capable of far faster recording than that, one of my favorite lightning vids was shot at 9,000 fps.

watch?v=-bvmEYxEYiA

[greenpogo]

@talshiarr wow - thats pretty awsome.... kinda interesting that the bright flashes actually seem very bright :P

[ctoon6]

This is one good use for high speed.

[magicicle]

Yay Neil is back <3

I missed him so much!

[vusiliyK]

That first one almost gave me a heart attack.

[jeebersjumpincryst]

@vusiliyK lol. me 2.

[ness1107]

I jumped at every explosion.

[periodicvideos]

@ness1107 it's worse when you're actually in the room!!!!

[williepie]

lol saying dont try this at home.. i play with real explosives....

[runnybabbit12]

is anyone else troubled that the last name of our explosives expert is gamble?

[zythepsarian]

need a doc edgerton cam for that

[culwin]

My procedure for eating dinner is:

1. prepare dinner

2. see if sixtysymbols/periodicvideos has put up any new videos

3. if yes, watch it while eating dinner

4. if no, move dinner into the living room and watch TV

[CzarAdam2009]

@culwin

Watching a video like this one while eating dinner sounds like a good way to end up with Salisbury steak on the ceiling.

[z0tx]

The first seconds of this video give a better scare than most horror films

[2naruto1]

"you should never try it at home"

challenge accepted .jpg

[rs666sathan666pk]

you guys got featured in vsauce's latest video :)

[homousios]

krakatoa east of java

[njimko23]

microwave ovens are faster

[ThePaBePa]

you scared the shit out of me!!

[TehConqueror]

Macguyver's frag grenade

[chinesepinguin]

i accidentally did this once when sealing a defective ampule

[kurtilein3]

very interesting :) but, actually i dont think i can say this, because all of this is quite familiar to me, but nonetheless this video is great and was a pleasure for me to watch.

[imaball]

boring video

[jfn1103]

that white cloud is steam. that entire cloud was being held in that tiny glass containor.. wow

[dgr8zod]

@jfn1103 Look up the meaning of "bleve" and you'll understand why. In summary, the water stays a liquid, although it is well above the boiling point. If the containment vessel fails, it flashes instantly to steam. All of it, all at once. Steam is some 1900 times the volume of the water. Not something you want to be next to ;)

[defect530]

i have to try this LOL

[Trizdizzle]

Holy crap am I the only one that noticed that Neil is RIPPED!!! That guy rocks!

[jfn1103]

@Trizdizzle keep it in your pants buddy

[dgr8zod]

Also a classic example of a bleve ;)

[Jiddy12345]

More videos with explosions?

[nybotheveg]

you have an explosive guru o: why are we first seeing him now?

[DeoMachina]

@nybotheveg Maybe I'm wrong but wasn't he the same guy who shot a candle out of a gun?

[McPrfctday]

Apparently "The Scream" was painted during one of those sunsets.

[mikelboi87]

I think you guys need to borrow a phantom flex 1080p and recored this again! :)

[gizmoguyar]

You need to invest in a high speed camera, and then make a video about Rupert's drops.

[Riley0143rsj]

@AlCor1986 Me too. :P

[Splooshiba]

slow mo needed

[RealGunde]

Cool, but stop telling me what not to do in the privacy of my own home. You're not my mother.

[Acrimonator]

@RealGunde I guess it's necessary to prevent non professional of manipulating explosives without caution.

[remixnick]

@RealGunde It's just a precaution for idiots...like you.

[lexichronicle2]

What pressure does normal tapered glass burst at? Considering flash columns are rated for 15psi and this little screw top reactors are 50.

[FHomeBrew]

The speed of sound in the air or in glass? Also, what does the word "not" mean? I'll go get my bunsen burner and magnifying glass :-)

[gizmoguyar]

@FHomeBrew it's much faster than in air, so it must be in glass.

[DJBigz1988]

i bet pete was really happy with those explosions. i know i was

[tchunu]

That afro dude's accent is awesome

[giggy2468]

it would be so cool if you invested in a high speed camera

[endospores]

@Meiz79: hot and quick.

[QJX]

Would love to see it recorded at 2500FPS!

[Trizdizzle]

@QJX or 7000 FPS...

[periodicvideos]

@QJX you see it in this video at 1200 FPS (the narrow shot) so not sure how good 2500 FPS would look?

[TheChemlife]

@periodicvideos a proper 2500 fps camera is very high quality, much higher than the camera you used. just look at time warp.

[30LayersOfKevlar]

Neil laughs at such puny explosions !

[ALAPINO]

@30LayersOfKevlar Anything less than a megaton is always a laughing matter for Neil. :)

[periodicvideos]

@30LayersOfKevlar Neil is yet to fully account for his whereabouts during the actual Krakatoa explosion!?

[Exposetheworld]

I used to hate Chemistry. I do hate Chemistry no more.

[oBLACKIECHANoo]

@Exposetheworld That made no sense, at all.

[Exposetheworld]

@oBLACKIECHANoo 'Wise is he who knows he knows nothing' (Can always escape a grammer mistake with that quote) 'I am Khans Li and above all Grammer' - Roosevelt during the 1216 California Olympics.

[oBLACKIECHANoo]

@Exposetheworld Can you speak english? I would love to know what two quotes have to do with you not being able to speak english? When you learn how to do so, come back.

[Exposetheworld]

@oBLACKIECHANoo Well isn't it the grammer police? I said in my previous comment I made a grammer mistake O' eminent one, by virtue of what is requisite how dare I mock the english language. /end sarcasm. The first quote is pretty easy to figure out the second...I made up. Chillax good sir, I have returned armed with a 2002 copy of the Oxford Dictionary. I am in good hands now.

[heloizyjhenifer]

@Exposetheworld Man, if anything at least spell grammar right...

[Exposetheworld]

@heloizyjhenifer Man if anything at least use your own common sense. I become enervate of your lack of understanding in the arts of humour. Come now friend! Let us tarry here no more and step out into the the colourful world that we have been graciously given. In Laymens term, it stops here.

[CzarAdam2009]

@Exposetheworld

I'd just like to say that when I saw the end of your post, I was like this ------> :D

At least one person got the humor. *golf clap*

[kubicam]

These videos make me miss my undergrad chemistry courses!

Now let's see that with something a little more flammable.

[MUJAHID56787]

aweeesome

[puretroubleman]

I remember in secondary school one of the teachers doing a over night demo. she basically got a little steel cube (probably 3x3cm) and on 1 side it had a little opening that could be sealed with a screw cap. it was hollow inside and they filled it with water, sealed it up and put it into the freezer. the next day she brought it out to show us and during the night it had exploded from the pressure created from the ice. probably not as exciting as this but I always found it interesting.

[Slic3R1]

@puretroubleman you just can't contain the expansion of ice, interesting indeed

[Meiz79]

That's impressive for simple water vapor. What temperature is being applied to the tube itself and how quickly does it get to that temperature?

[K0ester]

@Meiz79

burners are usually between 700-1000 Celsius depending on the gas

look like theirs was on the lower end because the flame was so wild/more oxygen

probably doesnt need to by heated more then 2 minutes

[23bhopkinsmc]

luv it

[101techkid]

Really interesting videos man!