Nitrogen Triiodide

Nitrogen Triiodide is a contact explosive. Here I have some on five filter papers stacked on a ring stand and the original filter paper is just off to the left of the screen (if you watch when it detonates you can see a secondary purple cloud from the left). You can hear my skepticism as I talk to my students because I have had this demonstration not work several times before in practice or in class [I had failed to dry it long enough or it had prematurely detonated]. Here, though, it worked great (although the sound was much louder than what the video has- I should have been wearing hearing protection because my right ear rang for a long while after this). When NI3 detonates it decomposes to form nitrogen gas and iodine gas which is what gives the purple cloud/smoke.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• chem
• chemistry
• sci
• science
• demo
• demonstration
• Sully
• Russia
• sully
• russia
• school
• reaction
• react
• rnx
• nitrogen
• triiodide
• NI3
• detonate
• explode
• explosion
• bang
• purple
• cloud
• smoke
• I2
• N2
• iodine
• ammonia
• NH3
• NH4OH
• gas
• vapor
• vapour
• crystal
• brown
• ring
• stand
• ringstand
• filter
• paper

[DANGJOS]

You didn't tell those poor kids that its an explosive? lol

[mrericsully]

@DANGJOS No, they knew it was coming, but I told them I had made more duds than successful versions before. In addition, the volume was louder than any of them expected I think.

[UTubeisSHIT523441]

This video would be only interesting and less boring if it have some non predictable situation. For instance when he opens that door. "Assuming we have nitrogen triiodide".. Bang... otherwise its boring and stupid and a waste of good space, which can be spend for something more interesting..

[mrericsully]

@UTubeisSHIT523441 My goal is to teach and not to entertain. I assure the crowd and the average student does not agree with your opinion.

[Parkinson9999]

class screams as if the teachers hand was blown off

[xxkatos]

science KICKS ASS!

[UTubeisSHIT523441]

@mrericsully I agree, back then that was a little ignorant from my side..

[piksnorDeluxe]

@mrericsully don't feed the trolls...

[ekimnosnaws]

@1roughneck5150 But of course you would know that iodine can be made from potassium iodide, which is relatively easy to acquire. all tweekers know that!

[1roughneck5150]

this is great stuff- I've made it and coated door hinges, bottoms of soda cans and other movable objects with the paste. Hard to get the iodine anymore, since all the tweekers are using it for making meth....

[joeylawn36111]

Those kids would have certainly set off the NI3 with their screams. :p

[mrericsully]

@Corydon76 I've experienced such phenomena as well, and would almost welcome the excitement, if it weren't for the fact that I only get to teach one section of chemistry and have other physical science classes through the rest of my school day, which causes us to get off topic if we spend time on chemistry.