Street Science (2017–…): Season 2, Episode 8 - The Invincible Fire - full transcript
Kevin and his team of experts use the hottest man-made substance on earth to build a fire that can't be stopped. They'll put this strange material to the test to see if it can really burn through anything, including armor-grade st...
DON'T LOOK DIRECTLY AT IT
'CAUSE IT'LL BE REAL, REAL BRIGHT.
Delaney: CAN THIS MEGA-HOT CONCOCTION
REALLY BURN THROUGH ANYTHING?
OH. YEAH. IT'S LIKE A LITTLE VOLCANO
-COMING OUT OF THERE. -WHOA!
WE ARE LIGHTING UP THERMITE...
-IT'S STILL BURNING. -THAT IS SO COOL.
...AND ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE.
[ ALL EXCLAIM ]
THAT'S WHY WE'RE STANDING SO FAR BACK.
UNDERSTOOD. MY NAME IS KEVIN DELANEY.
I'VE BEEN SHOWING OFF THE
MAGIC OF SCIENCE FOR YEARS
FROM MUSEUMS TO TALK SHOWS.
WE'RE TAKING SCIENCE TO THE STREETS
AND COMBINING EVERYDAY ELEMENTS
IN WAYS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.
I'VE GOT A TALENTED TEAM
OF ENGINEERS AND EXPERTS,
INCLUDING THE BACKYARD SCIENTIST HIMSELF...
WAIT, THAT WAS A TWIST OFF?
...AND OUR CINEMATOGRAPHER, DARREN,
WHO USES HIGH-TECH CAMERAS
TO REVEAL THE SCIENCE THAT SURROUNDS US
IN WAYS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
THAT'S GNARLY.
THIS IS "STREET SCIENCE."
IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE, THE
TEAM GETS TO PLAY WITH FIRE...
YEAH! ...A LOT.
FIRE TORNADOES, FIREBALLS,
AND FOUNTAINS OF FIRE.
BUT FOR THE BIGGEST, BADDEST, HOTTEST BURN,
WE'RE TURNING TO THERMITE.
IT'S A MIX OF ALUMINUM AND RUST,
ALSO KNOWN AS IRON OXIDE.
WHEN IGNITED, IT REACHES
OVER 4,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THAT'S TWICE THE
TEMPERATURE OF MOLTEN LAVA.
DARREN AND I ARE ON THE
STREET LOOKING FOR SOME FOLKS
TO HELP US EXPLORE THIS SUPER-HOT MIXTURE.
YOU EVER PLAY WITH ONE OF
THESE? ABSOLUTELY. ALL THE TIME.
SO, SUPPOSEDLY, THEY WERE MADE
WITH CHEMICALS THAT
MAKE UP THERMITE INSIDE.
BUT ACTUALLY, IT HAS ONE
OF THE TWO INGREDIENTS
NEEDED TO MAKE THERMITE.
SO WILL IT BURN NEARLY AS HOT?
WE'VE GOT AN OLD ONE OUTSIDE.
WE'RE GOING TO OPEN IT UP
AND SEE IF THAT REALLY
WORKS. YOU WANT TO TRY?
- COOL. ABSOLUTELY. LET'S GO.
- ALL RIGHT. COOL.
WORD.
WANT TO COME PLAY WITH FIRE?
ALWAYS.
THE INSIDE OF THE TOY IS
FILLED WITH ALUMINUM POWDER,
WHICH WE'RE COLLECTING IN ALUMINUM FOIL.
WHAT KIND OF FLAME AND HEAT CAN IT GENERATE
WITHOUT ADDING IRON OXIDE?
WE'RE GOING TO LIGHT
THEM AND SEE IF THEY WORK,
AND IF IT DOES LIGHT,
DON'T LOOK DIRECTLY AT IT,
'CAUSE IT'LL BE REAL, REAL BRIGHT.
-OKAY. -DARREN, YOU READY?
SPEEDING.
♪♪
-SEEMS LIKE IT WENT OUT. -YEAH.
IT'S SURPRISING THAT WOULD BE
IN A TOY. THAT WAS A LITTLE MORE
THAN I THOUGHT WAS
GOING TO BE GOING ON THERE.
Delaney: SO, THE ALUMINUM
POWDER INSIDE THE TOY FIRES UP,
BUT FIZZLES FAST.
NOW LET'S TRY A MIX WITH IRON OXIDE,
WHICH IS NOT FOUND IN TOYS,
AND SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW IT BURNS.
♪♪
-WHOA. -OH.
♪♪
♪♪
EVEN WITH THE LITTLE BIT OF POWDER,
THE EXPLOSION WAS MORE THAN
I WAS EXPECTING TO TURN OUT.
IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE
REACTIVE THAN THE OLD STUFF.
YEAH.
Delaney: SO WHY DOES THERMITE BURN SO HOT?
ONCE IGNITED, BURNING
THERMITE CONTINUES TO CREATE
ITS OWN OXYGEN, WHICH FUELS THE FIRE.
THE HEAT IS SO EXTREME, IT
TURNS THE MIX INTO MOLTEN METAL.
WELL, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A
SMALL AMOUNT OF THERMITE, RIGHT?
SO IF WE UP THE QUANTITIES
AND MAYBE EVEN STARTED
TRYING IT ON VARIOUS DIFFERENT MATERIALS,
I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE
HOW IT'S GOING TO REACT
WITH VARIOUS DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUBSTANCES.
LET'S SEE HOW FAR WE CAN TAKE THIS.
SINCE THERMITE REACHES SUCH A
HIGH TEMPERATURE WHEN IT BURNS,
WE ARE CHALLENGING KEVIN
KOHLER, ANNE-LISE, AND NICK
TO COME UP WITH SOME TESTS
TO SEE IF THIS EXTREME HEAT
CAN KEEP THE FIRE BURNING
WHEN THERMITE MEETS SOME
OF FIRE'S NATURAL ENEMIES.
OH!
BUT FIRST, WE'RE PUTTING
ANOTHER AMAZING SUBSTANCE
TO WORK... SLIME.
COLORFUL, HOMEMADE SLIME HAS
BECOME A SUPER POPULAR PLAY TOY.
OUR SLIME IS MADE OUT
OF WHITE GLUE AND BORAX,
WHICH IS A A NATURALLY-OCCURRING MINERAL.
BORAX IS COMMONLY USED
IN LAUNDRY DETERGENT.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS
GOOP IS SUPPOSED TO BE
A GREAT SHOCK ABSORBER.
WE'VE LURED SOME FOLKS
FROM THE AQUARIUM OVER
TO HELP US EXPERIMENT
WITH THIS STRANGE AND STICKY SUBSTANCE.
SO, WE HAVE ORANGE
SODA IN GLASS BOTTLES HERE
INSIDE OF OUR SLIME. WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE THIS OUT.
WE'RE GOING TO DROP IT FROM A HEIGHT,
AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE
IF IT PROTECTS IT VERY WELL.
SO, HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS
THINK THAT THIS IS GOING
TO PROTECT GLASS AS IT'S DROPPED?
-ABSOLUTELY. -ABSOLUTELY?
-I DON'T THINK SO. -I DON'T THINK SO.
I GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.
NICK AND ANNE-LISE HAVE A BOOM LIFT
THAT CAN STRETCH UP TO
50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.
WE'RE GOING TO START
OFF WITH A CONTROL TEST
AND DROP A BOTTLE FIRST FROM 10 FEET UP.
NO SLIME, JUST THE SODA.
3, 2, 1.
[ GLASS SHATTERS ] OH.
SHE'S GOT GOOD AIM.
THAT SURPRISES NO ONE.
♪♪
NOW LET'S SEE WHAT 5
GALLONS OF SLIME CAN DO
TO CHANGE THE FATE OF THE NEXT BOTTLE.
THIS TIME, THE ONLY THING
STANDING BETWEEN THE BOTTLE
AND THE CONCRETE IS A 5-INCH
THICK COCOON OF OF SLIME.
THIS IS 10 FEET. DOES ANYBODY THINK
WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT?
-YEAH. -I'M CONVINCED.
-NO. -I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE, YEAH.
ALL RIGHT. ON THREE.
THREE.
TWO.
ONE. GO AHEAD.
OH, IT WORKED.
♪♪
BOTTLE MADE IT.
-OH, WOW. -IT ABSORBED THE IMPACT,
AND THE BOTTLE LOOKS LIKE
IT SURVIVED PRETTY WELL.
THE SLIME ABSORBS THE ENERGY OF THE IMPACT,
AND THE BOTTLE SURVIVES.
THE SLIME HARDENS WHEN IT HITS THE GROUND
BECAUSE IT'S A NON-NEWTONIAN FLUID.
THAT MEANS THAT WHEN HANDLED
GENTLY, IT'S SOFT AND FLEXIBLE,
BUT THE MOMENT IT RECEIVES
A HARD IMPACT, IT SOLIDIFIES.
THAT'S WHAT GIVES IT
SHOCK-ABSORBING PROPERTIES,
BUT WILL IT STILL WORK FROM 10 FEET HIGHER?
SO DO Y'ALL THINK 20 FEET
IS GOING TO BE THE END OF IT?
YEAH. I THINK IT'S GOING
TO BREAK. FOR SURE, YEAH.
-YEAH. -OH, I'M GOING TO HOLD OUT.
I LIKE THAT. I LIKE THAT. OPTIMISM.
ALL RIGHT. HERE WE GO.
THREE.
TWO. ONE.
♪♪
-OH, WOW. -WOW.
SO, 20 FEET, STILL OKAY.
-THAT'S SURPRISING. -THE AMOUNT OF FORCE
THAT THE BOTTLE EXPERIENCES IS PROPORTIONAL
TO HOW FAST IT'S FALLING
WHEN IT HITS THE GROUND.
THE GROUND HAS TO INSTANTANEOUSLY STOP
THE SPEED OF THE BOTTLE.
WHEN YOU PUT SLIME BETWEEN
THE BOTTLE AND THE GROUND,
THAT SLIME SLOWS THE
BOTTLE DOWN MORE GRADUALLY
INSTEAD OF INSTANTANEOUSLY.
THIS MORE GRADUAL DECELERATION
IS WHAT SAVES THE BOTTLE.
DOES ANYBODY THINK WE'RE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO 30?
I THINK I MIGHT BE CONVINCED.
I SAID FROM THE GET-GO
IT'S GOING TO BE FINE.
-I KNOW YOU DID. -[ LAUGHS ]
-OKAY. -30 FEET.
OH.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
Delaney: WE ARE TESTING THE
SHOCK ABSORPTION OF SLIME.
DOES ANYBODY THINK WE'RE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO 30?
I THINK I MIGHT BE CONVINCED.
I SAID FROM THE GET-GO
IT'S GOING TO BE FINE.
-I KNOW YOU DID. -[ LAUGHS ]
-OKAY. -30 FEET.
-OH, IT WORKED! -YEAH! IT WORKED!
-HEY. -TOLD YOU.
-NOT TOO BAD. -WOW.
30 FEET, AND IT DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE
IT HAS A SCRATCH ON IT.
THE HIGHER THE BOTTLE IS WHEN IT'S DROPPED,
THE MORE TIME IT HAS TO ACCELERATE,
GETTING AS CLOSE TO ITS
TERMINAL VELOCITY AS POSSIBLE.
EVERY TIME WE GO HIGHER,
IT'S GOING TO HIT THE GROUND
AT A HIGHER VELOCITY.
SO LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN WE TAKE IT ALL THE WAY UP.
HERE WE GO.
-40 FEET. -3, 2, 1!
♪♪
-OH! -OH!
WELL, YOU FLEW TOO CLOSE
TO THE SUN ON WINGS OF SLIME.
BUT WE STILL HAVE THREE GOOD SODAS,
SO WE'LL CHILL THEM DOWN AND HAVE A DRINK.
TO SEE ITS ABILITY TO
ABSORB IMPACT LIKE THIS,
ESPECIALLY FROM THESE KINDS OF HEIGHTS,
WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
♪♪
Delaney: NOW BACK TO THERMITE.
THIS SIMPLE MIX OF ALUMINUM
POWDER AND IRON OXIDE
REACHES OVER 4,000 DEGREES
FAHRENHEIT WHEN IT BURNS.
THE BACKYARD SCIENTIST, KEVIN KOHLER,
IS HERE TO HELP US FIND OUT
IF COMMON FIRE SUPPRESSANTS
LIKE SAND, BAKING SODA,
AND WATER CAN PUT OUT A
THERMITE FLAME THAT BURNS THAT HOT.
WE ARE AT A LOCAL PARK,
WHERE A FEW PASSERSBY
HAVE JOINED IN TO WATCH.
SO, WE HAVE SAND, BAKING SODA, AND WATER.
SO, WHO THINKS THE SAND
WILL DO THE BEST JOB?
-SAND? SAND? -I AGREE.
SAND, SAND? OKAY.
Man: THE SAND WOULD BE
HEAVY AND SUFFOCATE IT,
AND SO IT WOULD BURN OUT. THAT'S...
REALLY, TOTAL GUESS.
ARE Y'ALL READY TO SEE WHICH
ONE OF THESE IS GOING TO WORK
THE BEST ON OUR BUDDY, THE THERMITE, HERE?
-OH, YES. -YEAH. I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT.
ALL RIGHT. KEVIN! NICK!
KEVIN AND NICK ARE GOING
TO LIGHT OUR THERMITE.
Delaney: THERMITE IS
TYPICALLY HARD TO IGNITE.
IT REQUIRES A TEMPERATURE OF
OVER 3,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT
JUST TO GET THE REACTION STARTED.
ONCE IT LIGHTS UP, KEVIN
WILL TRY TO PUT IT OUT
WITH A GIANT SCOOP OF SAND.
ALL RIGHT. GO FOR IT.
♪♪
-WOW. -[ LAUGHS ]
♪♪
IT'S STILL BURNING.
IT'S DEFINITELY NOT PUTTING IT OUT.
-OH, MY GOSH. -THAT'S WHY WE'RE STANDING
-SO FAR BACK. -UNDERSTOOD.
THE THERMITE FLARES UP
TO 4,500 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THE SAND REDUCES THE FLAME,
BUT THE THERMITE STAYS ON FIRE
UNTIL IT BURNS ITSELF UP.
♪♪
NEXT UP, BAKING SODA, AN
INGREDIENT COMMONLY USED
TO PUT OUT GREASE FIRES
AND ELECTRICAL FIRES.
♪♪
-OH. -HOLY MACKEREL.
-NOPE. -WOW.
♪♪
YEAH. IT'S LIKE A LITTLE
VOLCANO COMING OUT OF THERE.
- BAKING SODA DID NOT WORK.
- AND THAT WAS KIND OF SCARY,
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S IN YOUR
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AT HOME,
-THE YELLOW DUST. -WOW.
Delaney: AGAIN, THE THERMITE STAYS ON FIRE
UNTIL IT COMPLETELY BURNS UP.
-WHO VOTED FOR WATER? -ME.
ALL RIGHT. WATER'S NEXT. YOU MIGHT NOTICE
THAT WE'RE DOING IT A
LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
INSTEAD OF KIND OF EMBEDDING
IT DOWN IN THE WATER,
WE'RE PUTTING IT IN A LITTLE TENNIS BALL.
WE'RE GOING TO LIGHT IT FIRST,
BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE
TO LIGHT IT UNDERWATER. NICK, GO FOR IT.
ARE WE STANDING BACK FAR ENOUGH?
-ARE YOU READY? -I'M READY.
♪♪
-OH. -HOLY... WOW! AWESOME.
-WOW. -STILL BURNING.
♪♪
-IT'S STILL BURNING. -AWESOME.
THE BUBBLES COMING UP
FROM IT WERE MAKING FIRE.
♪♪
Nick: LOOK AT HOW IT MAKES THE WATER BLACK.
THERMITE IS THIS REALLY
INTERESTING REACTION.
IT CREATES ITS OWN OXYGEN TO CREATE FLAMES,
SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN
THE OPEN AIR IN ORDER TO BURN.
IT CAN GO UNDERWATER
AND STILL KEEP BURNING,
AND THEN AFTER IT DOES THAT,
IT CREATES MOLTEN IRON
BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE HEAT
THAT'S GENERATED IN THE REACTION,
AND THAT'S THAT BUBBLY BURNING IRON
THAT YOU SEE INSIDE THE WATER.
EVEN THOUGH WE WERE THINKING
THE WATER WAS GOING TO WORK,
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE WATER DOES NOT WORK.
-I FEEL DISAPPOINTED NOW. -IT'S OKAY.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
-YOU'LL GET THEM NEXT TIME. -ALL RIGHT.
SO, THE PRACTICAL
APPLICATIONS OF THERMITE...
UNDERWATER WELDING.
-OH. -WORKS PRETTY WELL.
Delaney: THERMITE IS THE
VICTOR IN THIS SHOWDOWN.
NICK AND ANNE-LISE ARE GOING
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
TO FIND SOMETHING THAT CAN STOP ITS FLAME.
♪♪
BUT FIRST, WHAT ELSE CAN FUEL A FIRE?
WE'RE CHALLENGING SOME PEOPLE ON THE STREET
TO GUESS WHICH EVERYDAY
ITEMS ARE MOST FLAMMABLE.
-DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? -YEAH. YEAH.
ALL RIGHT. SO, I HAVE
THESE THREE ITEMS HERE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PREDICTIONS
AS TO WHICH ONE YOU THINK WILL BURN BEST?
- THE STICK AND THE... YEAH.
- THE STICK AND THE LEAF?
-LET'S FIND OUT. -OKAY.
♪♪
OH, NO.
STILL A LOT OF MOISTURE
LEFT IN THE PLANT, I THINK.
-YEAH. -WHAT ABOUT YOU?
I'M GOING TO GO FOR THE
CHIPS IN THE MIDDLE THERE.
ALL RIGHT.
♪♪
SO, THE CHIPS BURN REAL WELL
'CAUSE THEY'RE MADE OF CORN
AND THEY'RE COVERED IN
OIL, KIND OF LIKE A CANDLE,
SO THEY WORK VERY NICELY, AND
THEY'LL LAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
ALL RIGHT. WHAT ABOUT THE PING-PONG BALL?
IT'S, LIKE, CHEMICALLY MADE,
SO MAYBE IT'LL CATCH ON FIRE?
-YOU READY? -YEAH.
HERE YOU GO.
WHOA.
♪♪
Delaney: WE ARE TESTING TO
SEE WHICH OF THESE ITEMS
IS THE MOST FLAMMABLE.
WHAT ABOUT THE PING-PONG BALL?
IT'S, LIKE, CHEMICALLY MADE,
SO MAYBE IT'LL CATCH ON FIRE?
♪♪
-NICE. -WHOA.
YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THIS KIND OF PING-PONG BALL
IS MADE OUT OF A MATERIAL
CALLED NITROCELLULOSE,
SO IT BURNS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY.
WE WERE ABLE TO NOT ONLY
BURN THE PING-PONG BALL,
BUT THE PING-PONG BALL IS GONE.
Delaney: THE PING-PONG BALL IS
MADE OUT OF NITROCELLULOSE,
ALSO KNOWN AS GUN COTTON,
A MILD EXPLOSIVE USED IN
ROCKETS AND PROPELLANTS.
NITROCELLULOSE IS THE SAME MATERIAL
THAT WAS USED TO MAKE
MOVIE FILM IN THE EARLY 1900s.
♪♪
COMBINING FLAME WITH PING-PONG BALLS
CAN CREATE INTERESTING RESULTS.
WE FOUND SOME PING-PONG
PLAYERS AT THIS LOCAL BREWERY
TO HELP US PLAY A DIFFERENT KIND
OF GAME, NO PADDLE NECESSARY.
HEY, EVERYBODY. OUR FRIEND KEVIN
IS OUT BACK WITH A PING-PONG BALL.
Darren: IT'S GOING TO
INVOLVE FIRE AND SPEED.
I THINK YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO ENJOY THIS.
-SOUND GOOD? -COME WITH US?
-SURE! -ALL RIGHT. LETS GO.
KEVIN HAS A DIFFERENT WAY
OF GETTING THAT PING-PONG BALL
TO MOVE WITHOUT USING A PADDLE,
WHICH IS WHY WE INTERRUPTED
YOUR PING-PONG GAME.
SO, KEVIN, YOU'VE GOT LIQUID
NITROGEN THERE, RIGHT?
-YEAH. -IT'S VERY, VERY COLD,
EVAPORATING CONSTANTLY, AS YOU CAN SEE.
SO WHEN WE PUT IT IN A PING-PONG BALL,
SOMETHING KIND OF INTERESTING HAPPENS.
KEVIN, GO FOR IT.
KEVIN PUMPS IN THE LIQUID NITROGEN
THROUGH A HOLE HE'S DRILLED IN THE BALL.
NICE AND COLD. ONCE THE BUBBLING STOPS,
YOU KNOW IT'S PROBABLY
GETTING CLOSE TO DONE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN?
DOES ANYBODY THINK IT'S GOING TO BREAK?
-BREAK, YEAH. -FREEZE AND BREAK.
-FREEZE AND THEN BREAK. -YEAH.
ALL RIGHT. I THINK IT'S GOOD.
THREE. TWO. ONE.
♪♪
Woman: NICE.
Delaney: THE BALL SPINS SUPER FAST,
ABOUT 10,000 REVOLUTIONS A MINUTE.
♪♪
LIQUID NITROGEN'S BOILING POINT
IS MINUS-320 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
WHEN KEVIN TAKES THE BALL
OUT OF THE LIQUID NITROGEN,
THE NITROGEN LEFT INSIDE THE BALL HEATS UP,
BOILS, AND BECOMES A GAS.
THIS GAS TAKES UP ABOUT 700 TIMES
THE SPACE OF LIQUID NITROGEN.
THE GAS HAS TO GO SOMEWHERE,
SO IT RUSHES OUT OF THE HOLE,
TURNING THE BALL INTO A SPINNING JET.
BUT WE DON'T JUST HAVE LIQUID NITROGEN.
YOU'VE BROUGHT ANOTHER MATERIAL?
-LIQUID PROPANE. -GOOD, OLD LIQUID PROPANE.
ONE OF THE MANY DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN NITROGEN AND PROPANE
IS THAT PROPANE IS FLAMMABLE.
KEVIN INJECTS THE BALL FULL OF PROPANE
BEFORE RELEASING IT ON THE
TABLE LINED WITH LIT CANDLES.
THERE'S ENOUGH ESCAPING
MASS TO GET THE BALL SPINNING
AT ALMOST 30,000 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE.
-THIS IS SCARY. -SHOULD WE GIVE IT A SHOT?
YEAH. I GUESS SO.
OKAY. THREE.
TWO. ONE.
[ ALL EXCLAIM ]
Woman: AWESOME.
I THINK THE PROPANE'S A
LITTLE BIT MORE POWERFUL.
Delaney: ONCE KEVIN POKES A
SMALL HOLE INSIDE OF THE BALL,
AND THIS EXPANDING GAS JETS OUT,
IT TURNS THE BALL INTO
A TINY, SPINNING ROCKET.
OKAY. HERE WE GO.
[ ALL EXCLAIM ]
THE EXPANDING PROPANE
HITS THE LIT CANDLE FLAME
AND IGNITES, CREATING A GREAT BALL OF FIRE.
Darren: IT'S A SCARY LITTLE EXPERIMENT.
"A," YOU'RE PUTTING A BUNCH OF
COMPRESSED FLAMMABLE GASES
INTO A SMALL, FLIMSY PIECE OF PLASTIC.
"B," IT'S SPINNING AT A RIDICULOUS PACE,
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT
WHEN IT LIGHTS ON FIRE,
IT JUST KIND OF ENVELOPS THE CAMERA.
Kohler: WAS THAT ONE A LITTLE WARM?
I THINK I CAN COOL YOU DOWN
WITH SOME LIQUID NITROGEN.
-THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. -OH, YEAH. DO IT.
♪♪
THANK YOU, KEVIN. [ LAUGHTER ]
SO, WE WOULDN'T RECOMMEND
USING THIS TECHNIQUE
IN AN ACTUAL PING-PONG MATCH,
BECAUSE IT IS NOT REGULATION,
AND ALSO, IT'S KIND OF DANGEROUS.
IT'D BE A SICK CURVEBALL
THOUGH. YEAH, IT WOULD.
I AM NOT PLAYING WITH
KEVIN KOHLER IN PING-PONG.
HE CHEATS, CLEARLY.
♪♪
Delaney: IT'S THE FINAL SHOWDOWN
AGAINST THE UNSTOPPABLE THERMITE.
WE FOUND THAT EVEN THE
MOST COMMON FIRE STOPPERS
LIKE SAND, BAKING SODA, AND WATER
COULD NOT SNUFF IT OUT.
TIME TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN THERMITE MEETS STEEL.
IT ISN'T SAFE TO CREATE BIG
EXPLOSIONS AT A PUBLIC PARK,
SO WE'RE AT THE COUNTY FIRE TRAINING CENTER
TO EXPERIMENT WITH THERMITE.
WELCOME TO A RAINY
TRAINING GROUNDS OUT HERE.
NOW, IS THIS RAIN GOING TO IMPACT ANYTHING?
NO. THE RAIN IS FINE.
THERMITE IS VERY, VERY HOT,
AND IT WILL WORK IN THE RAIN.
[ THUNDER RUMBLES ]
DID YOU CUE THAT RAIN?
-I CUED IT. -[ LAUGHS ]
Delaney: FIRST UP, STEEL.
MADE OF IRON AND CARBON,
STEEL IS PRIZED AS A CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL
BECAUSE OF ITS HARDNESS AND DURABILITY.
IT HAS A MELTING POINT OF 2,750 DEGREES,
BUT REMEMBER, THERMITE BURNS
AT OVER 4,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
SO LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS
TO THIS STEEL HOOD OF A CAR
WHEN WE LIGHT 30 POUNDS
OF THERMITE ON TOP OF IT.
TRYING TO CONTROL SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN'T EXTINGUISH IT OUT
WITH JUST WATER, IT'S KIND OF SCARY,
AND I'M KIND OF NERVOUS TO
SEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
HEY, YOU GUYS LOOK LIKE A
COUPLE OF BAKED POTATOES.
WE'RE ABOUT TO GET AS TOASTY
AS A BAKED POTATO IN A MINUTE.
-OOH. -LET'S DO THIS!
♪♪
-WHOA! -OH!
♪♪
Delaney: WE'RE TRYING TO
FIND OUT IF ANYTHING CAN STOP
THE SUPER-HOT FLAME OF THERMITE.
LET'S DO THIS!
♪♪
-OH, MAN. -OH, WOW. OH. OH, NO.
♪♪
-YEAH! -YEAH!
ALL RIGHT!
-THAT'S CRAZY. -LOOKS LIKE LAVA.
♪♪
-OH, MY GOSH. -OH, THERE IT IS.
THERE IT IS, POURING RIGHT OUT THE BOTTOM.
IN JUST 15 SECONDS, THERMITE MELTS A HOLE
STRAIGHT THROUGH THE
HOOD, INCINERATING THE STEEL.
-WOW. -I'D SAY THAT WORKED.
Man: AROUND THE AREA
WHERE IT BURNED THROUGH
IS STILL ABOUT 900 DEGREES.
THIS IS SOLID STEEL,
SO IT TAKES A COUPLE OF
THOUSAND DEGREES TO GET THROUGH.
IT'S JUST AN IMPRESSIVE
DISPLAY OF CHEMISTRY.
Delaney: IT'S ALSO
IMPRESSIVE THAT THE CLAY POT
AND CONCRETE DON'T MELT.
THAT'S BECAUSE AS THE REACTION OCCURS,
HOT, MOLTEN METAL POURS OUT OF THE HOLE,
TAKING THE HEAT WITH IT.
ALSO, SINCE THE MIX IS IGNITED
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE POT,
THE THERMITE NEXT TO THE
CLAY POT IS THE LAST TO LIGHT
AND PROTECTS POT FROM THE
HEAT UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT.
SO IT WORKS ON STEEL.
- WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?
- HOW ABOUT SOME TITANIUM?
IS IT GOVERNMENT GRADE?
-IT'S MILITARY GRADE. -LET'S DO IT.
Delaney: TITANIUM, KNOWN AS ONE
OF THE STRONGEST METALS ON EARTH.
ITS MELTING POINT IS OVER
3,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
IT'S USED AS AN ALLOY WITH IRON
AND ALUMINUM TO PRODUCE STRONG,
LIGHTWEIGHT METALS FOR
THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY.
IF TITANIUM MELTS AT 3,000 DEGREES,
AND THERMITE BURNS AT OVER 4,000 DEGREES,
ANYONE WANT TO BET ON THE TITANIUM?
WHOO!
OH!
-WOW. LOOK AT THAT. -WHOA!
♪♪
WHOA! [ LAUGHS ]
♪♪
- THAT'S HOT, HUH?
- OH, MY GOD. THAT IS SO COOL.
WILL IT GO THROUGH?
I THINK IT POURED OFF OF IT.
DIDN'T EVEN CRACK OR DEFORM THE PLATE.
THERMITE'S VERY HOT, BUT
TITANIUM'S VERY STRONG.
IMPRESSIVELY STRONG.
SO EVEN THOUGH THERMITE
HAS A HIGHER TEMPERATURE
THAN TITANIUM, THIS IS
ARMOR-GRADE TITANIUM.
IT'S SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO
TAKE HIGH-TEMPERATURE IMPACTS,
ABSORB ALL THAT HEAT, AND
DISTRIBUTE IT REALLY EASILY
WHILE STILL ABSORBING
THE BRUNT OF THE HEAT.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW IT GOT RED HOT,
BUT IT DIDN'T ACTUALLY
GET ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
Kohler: CAN YOU SEE
WHERE IT'S EXTREMELY HOT,
AND THEN MY SIDE WHERE IT'S NOT HOT AT ALL?
Nick: IT'S DAMAGED, BUT NOT A BIG HOLE.
LET'S COOL THIS BAD BOY
DOWN. [ STEAM HISSING ]
Delaney: SO TITANIUM PREVAILED,
DESPITE THE TEMPERATURE
ADVANTAGE FOR THERMITE.
SO LET'S GIVE STEEL ANOTHER CHANCE...
THIS TIME, A MUCH THICKER
VERSION THAN OUR CAR HOOD,
A 1,400-POUND STEEL SAFE.
-READY TO DO THIS, KEVIN? -YEAH.
DON'T BE ASHAMED OF RUNNING. AAH!
♪♪
-THERE IT GOES. -HOLY COW.
LOOK AT HOW HIGH UP IT'S GOING!
-YEAH. -WHOA!
-WHOA! -OH, MY GOSH.
THAT IS AWESOME.
IT'S GOT TO MELT THROUGH THIS TIME. YEAH.
IT REALLY LOOKED LIKE FLOWING
LAVA FROM, LIKE, A VOLCANO.
Woman: IT'S PRETTY CRAZY,
'CAUSE I WAS 120 FEET AWAY,
BUT I COULD REALLY FEEL THE
HEAT FROM THAT EXPLOSION.
WHAT'S THE TEMPERATURE?
7,557 DEGREES IMMEDIATELY ON IGNITION.
IT KIND OF LOOKED LIKE IT WARPED THE DOOR,
BUT I DON'T THINK IT WENT THROUGH, GUYS.
Delaney: SO WHY DIDN'T THE
THERMITE BURN THROUGH THE SAFE?
FOR THE SAME REASON IT DIDN'T BURN THROUGH
THE THICK PANEL OF TITANIUM.
YOU'VE GOT EVERYTHING
WORKING AGAINST YOU HERE.
YOU'VE GOT A REALLY THICK PLATE OF STEEL,
PROBABLY TOO THICK TO GO THROUGH,
SO IT'S TRANSFERRING ALL THAT
HEAT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SAFE,
AND THEN IT'S GOT REINFORCING CONCRETE
THAT CAN ALSO ABSORB A LOT OF HEAT.
I THINK THE THERMITE
HAS FINALLY MET ITS MATCH.
'CAUSE IT'LL BE REAL, REAL BRIGHT.
Delaney: CAN THIS MEGA-HOT CONCOCTION
REALLY BURN THROUGH ANYTHING?
OH. YEAH. IT'S LIKE A LITTLE VOLCANO
-COMING OUT OF THERE. -WHOA!
WE ARE LIGHTING UP THERMITE...
-IT'S STILL BURNING. -THAT IS SO COOL.
...AND ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE.
[ ALL EXCLAIM ]
THAT'S WHY WE'RE STANDING SO FAR BACK.
UNDERSTOOD. MY NAME IS KEVIN DELANEY.
I'VE BEEN SHOWING OFF THE
MAGIC OF SCIENCE FOR YEARS
FROM MUSEUMS TO TALK SHOWS.
WE'RE TAKING SCIENCE TO THE STREETS
AND COMBINING EVERYDAY ELEMENTS
IN WAYS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.
I'VE GOT A TALENTED TEAM
OF ENGINEERS AND EXPERTS,
INCLUDING THE BACKYARD SCIENTIST HIMSELF...
WAIT, THAT WAS A TWIST OFF?
...AND OUR CINEMATOGRAPHER, DARREN,
WHO USES HIGH-TECH CAMERAS
TO REVEAL THE SCIENCE THAT SURROUNDS US
IN WAYS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
THAT'S GNARLY.
THIS IS "STREET SCIENCE."
IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE, THE
TEAM GETS TO PLAY WITH FIRE...
YEAH! ...A LOT.
FIRE TORNADOES, FIREBALLS,
AND FOUNTAINS OF FIRE.
BUT FOR THE BIGGEST, BADDEST, HOTTEST BURN,
WE'RE TURNING TO THERMITE.
IT'S A MIX OF ALUMINUM AND RUST,
ALSO KNOWN AS IRON OXIDE.
WHEN IGNITED, IT REACHES
OVER 4,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THAT'S TWICE THE
TEMPERATURE OF MOLTEN LAVA.
DARREN AND I ARE ON THE
STREET LOOKING FOR SOME FOLKS
TO HELP US EXPLORE THIS SUPER-HOT MIXTURE.
YOU EVER PLAY WITH ONE OF
THESE? ABSOLUTELY. ALL THE TIME.
SO, SUPPOSEDLY, THEY WERE MADE
WITH CHEMICALS THAT
MAKE UP THERMITE INSIDE.
BUT ACTUALLY, IT HAS ONE
OF THE TWO INGREDIENTS
NEEDED TO MAKE THERMITE.
SO WILL IT BURN NEARLY AS HOT?
WE'VE GOT AN OLD ONE OUTSIDE.
WE'RE GOING TO OPEN IT UP
AND SEE IF THAT REALLY
WORKS. YOU WANT TO TRY?
- COOL. ABSOLUTELY. LET'S GO.
- ALL RIGHT. COOL.
WORD.
WANT TO COME PLAY WITH FIRE?
ALWAYS.
THE INSIDE OF THE TOY IS
FILLED WITH ALUMINUM POWDER,
WHICH WE'RE COLLECTING IN ALUMINUM FOIL.
WHAT KIND OF FLAME AND HEAT CAN IT GENERATE
WITHOUT ADDING IRON OXIDE?
WE'RE GOING TO LIGHT
THEM AND SEE IF THEY WORK,
AND IF IT DOES LIGHT,
DON'T LOOK DIRECTLY AT IT,
'CAUSE IT'LL BE REAL, REAL BRIGHT.
-OKAY. -DARREN, YOU READY?
SPEEDING.
♪♪
-SEEMS LIKE IT WENT OUT. -YEAH.
IT'S SURPRISING THAT WOULD BE
IN A TOY. THAT WAS A LITTLE MORE
THAN I THOUGHT WAS
GOING TO BE GOING ON THERE.
Delaney: SO, THE ALUMINUM
POWDER INSIDE THE TOY FIRES UP,
BUT FIZZLES FAST.
NOW LET'S TRY A MIX WITH IRON OXIDE,
WHICH IS NOT FOUND IN TOYS,
AND SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW IT BURNS.
♪♪
-WHOA. -OH.
♪♪
♪♪
EVEN WITH THE LITTLE BIT OF POWDER,
THE EXPLOSION WAS MORE THAN
I WAS EXPECTING TO TURN OUT.
IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE
REACTIVE THAN THE OLD STUFF.
YEAH.
Delaney: SO WHY DOES THERMITE BURN SO HOT?
ONCE IGNITED, BURNING
THERMITE CONTINUES TO CREATE
ITS OWN OXYGEN, WHICH FUELS THE FIRE.
THE HEAT IS SO EXTREME, IT
TURNS THE MIX INTO MOLTEN METAL.
WELL, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A
SMALL AMOUNT OF THERMITE, RIGHT?
SO IF WE UP THE QUANTITIES
AND MAYBE EVEN STARTED
TRYING IT ON VARIOUS DIFFERENT MATERIALS,
I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE
HOW IT'S GOING TO REACT
WITH VARIOUS DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUBSTANCES.
LET'S SEE HOW FAR WE CAN TAKE THIS.
SINCE THERMITE REACHES SUCH A
HIGH TEMPERATURE WHEN IT BURNS,
WE ARE CHALLENGING KEVIN
KOHLER, ANNE-LISE, AND NICK
TO COME UP WITH SOME TESTS
TO SEE IF THIS EXTREME HEAT
CAN KEEP THE FIRE BURNING
WHEN THERMITE MEETS SOME
OF FIRE'S NATURAL ENEMIES.
OH!
BUT FIRST, WE'RE PUTTING
ANOTHER AMAZING SUBSTANCE
TO WORK... SLIME.
COLORFUL, HOMEMADE SLIME HAS
BECOME A SUPER POPULAR PLAY TOY.
OUR SLIME IS MADE OUT
OF WHITE GLUE AND BORAX,
WHICH IS A A NATURALLY-OCCURRING MINERAL.
BORAX IS COMMONLY USED
IN LAUNDRY DETERGENT.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS
GOOP IS SUPPOSED TO BE
A GREAT SHOCK ABSORBER.
WE'VE LURED SOME FOLKS
FROM THE AQUARIUM OVER
TO HELP US EXPERIMENT
WITH THIS STRANGE AND STICKY SUBSTANCE.
SO, WE HAVE ORANGE
SODA IN GLASS BOTTLES HERE
INSIDE OF OUR SLIME. WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE THIS OUT.
WE'RE GOING TO DROP IT FROM A HEIGHT,
AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE
IF IT PROTECTS IT VERY WELL.
SO, HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS
THINK THAT THIS IS GOING
TO PROTECT GLASS AS IT'S DROPPED?
-ABSOLUTELY. -ABSOLUTELY?
-I DON'T THINK SO. -I DON'T THINK SO.
I GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.
NICK AND ANNE-LISE HAVE A BOOM LIFT
THAT CAN STRETCH UP TO
50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.
WE'RE GOING TO START
OFF WITH A CONTROL TEST
AND DROP A BOTTLE FIRST FROM 10 FEET UP.
NO SLIME, JUST THE SODA.
3, 2, 1.
[ GLASS SHATTERS ] OH.
SHE'S GOT GOOD AIM.
THAT SURPRISES NO ONE.
♪♪
NOW LET'S SEE WHAT 5
GALLONS OF SLIME CAN DO
TO CHANGE THE FATE OF THE NEXT BOTTLE.
THIS TIME, THE ONLY THING
STANDING BETWEEN THE BOTTLE
AND THE CONCRETE IS A 5-INCH
THICK COCOON OF OF SLIME.
THIS IS 10 FEET. DOES ANYBODY THINK
WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT?
-YEAH. -I'M CONVINCED.
-NO. -I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE, YEAH.
ALL RIGHT. ON THREE.
THREE.
TWO.
ONE. GO AHEAD.
OH, IT WORKED.
♪♪
BOTTLE MADE IT.
-OH, WOW. -IT ABSORBED THE IMPACT,
AND THE BOTTLE LOOKS LIKE
IT SURVIVED PRETTY WELL.
THE SLIME ABSORBS THE ENERGY OF THE IMPACT,
AND THE BOTTLE SURVIVES.
THE SLIME HARDENS WHEN IT HITS THE GROUND
BECAUSE IT'S A NON-NEWTONIAN FLUID.
THAT MEANS THAT WHEN HANDLED
GENTLY, IT'S SOFT AND FLEXIBLE,
BUT THE MOMENT IT RECEIVES
A HARD IMPACT, IT SOLIDIFIES.
THAT'S WHAT GIVES IT
SHOCK-ABSORBING PROPERTIES,
BUT WILL IT STILL WORK FROM 10 FEET HIGHER?
SO DO Y'ALL THINK 20 FEET
IS GOING TO BE THE END OF IT?
YEAH. I THINK IT'S GOING
TO BREAK. FOR SURE, YEAH.
-YEAH. -OH, I'M GOING TO HOLD OUT.
I LIKE THAT. I LIKE THAT. OPTIMISM.
ALL RIGHT. HERE WE GO.
THREE.
TWO. ONE.
♪♪
-OH, WOW. -WOW.
SO, 20 FEET, STILL OKAY.
-THAT'S SURPRISING. -THE AMOUNT OF FORCE
THAT THE BOTTLE EXPERIENCES IS PROPORTIONAL
TO HOW FAST IT'S FALLING
WHEN IT HITS THE GROUND.
THE GROUND HAS TO INSTANTANEOUSLY STOP
THE SPEED OF THE BOTTLE.
WHEN YOU PUT SLIME BETWEEN
THE BOTTLE AND THE GROUND,
THAT SLIME SLOWS THE
BOTTLE DOWN MORE GRADUALLY
INSTEAD OF INSTANTANEOUSLY.
THIS MORE GRADUAL DECELERATION
IS WHAT SAVES THE BOTTLE.
DOES ANYBODY THINK WE'RE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO 30?
I THINK I MIGHT BE CONVINCED.
I SAID FROM THE GET-GO
IT'S GOING TO BE FINE.
-I KNOW YOU DID. -[ LAUGHS ]
-OKAY. -30 FEET.
OH.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
Delaney: WE ARE TESTING THE
SHOCK ABSORPTION OF SLIME.
DOES ANYBODY THINK WE'RE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO 30?
I THINK I MIGHT BE CONVINCED.
I SAID FROM THE GET-GO
IT'S GOING TO BE FINE.
-I KNOW YOU DID. -[ LAUGHS ]
-OKAY. -30 FEET.
-OH, IT WORKED! -YEAH! IT WORKED!
-HEY. -TOLD YOU.
-NOT TOO BAD. -WOW.
30 FEET, AND IT DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE
IT HAS A SCRATCH ON IT.
THE HIGHER THE BOTTLE IS WHEN IT'S DROPPED,
THE MORE TIME IT HAS TO ACCELERATE,
GETTING AS CLOSE TO ITS
TERMINAL VELOCITY AS POSSIBLE.
EVERY TIME WE GO HIGHER,
IT'S GOING TO HIT THE GROUND
AT A HIGHER VELOCITY.
SO LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN WE TAKE IT ALL THE WAY UP.
HERE WE GO.
-40 FEET. -3, 2, 1!
♪♪
-OH! -OH!
WELL, YOU FLEW TOO CLOSE
TO THE SUN ON WINGS OF SLIME.
BUT WE STILL HAVE THREE GOOD SODAS,
SO WE'LL CHILL THEM DOWN AND HAVE A DRINK.
TO SEE ITS ABILITY TO
ABSORB IMPACT LIKE THIS,
ESPECIALLY FROM THESE KINDS OF HEIGHTS,
WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
♪♪
Delaney: NOW BACK TO THERMITE.
THIS SIMPLE MIX OF ALUMINUM
POWDER AND IRON OXIDE
REACHES OVER 4,000 DEGREES
FAHRENHEIT WHEN IT BURNS.
THE BACKYARD SCIENTIST, KEVIN KOHLER,
IS HERE TO HELP US FIND OUT
IF COMMON FIRE SUPPRESSANTS
LIKE SAND, BAKING SODA,
AND WATER CAN PUT OUT A
THERMITE FLAME THAT BURNS THAT HOT.
WE ARE AT A LOCAL PARK,
WHERE A FEW PASSERSBY
HAVE JOINED IN TO WATCH.
SO, WE HAVE SAND, BAKING SODA, AND WATER.
SO, WHO THINKS THE SAND
WILL DO THE BEST JOB?
-SAND? SAND? -I AGREE.
SAND, SAND? OKAY.
Man: THE SAND WOULD BE
HEAVY AND SUFFOCATE IT,
AND SO IT WOULD BURN OUT. THAT'S...
REALLY, TOTAL GUESS.
ARE Y'ALL READY TO SEE WHICH
ONE OF THESE IS GOING TO WORK
THE BEST ON OUR BUDDY, THE THERMITE, HERE?
-OH, YES. -YEAH. I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT.
ALL RIGHT. KEVIN! NICK!
KEVIN AND NICK ARE GOING
TO LIGHT OUR THERMITE.
Delaney: THERMITE IS
TYPICALLY HARD TO IGNITE.
IT REQUIRES A TEMPERATURE OF
OVER 3,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT
JUST TO GET THE REACTION STARTED.
ONCE IT LIGHTS UP, KEVIN
WILL TRY TO PUT IT OUT
WITH A GIANT SCOOP OF SAND.
ALL RIGHT. GO FOR IT.
♪♪
-WOW. -[ LAUGHS ]
♪♪
IT'S STILL BURNING.
IT'S DEFINITELY NOT PUTTING IT OUT.
-OH, MY GOSH. -THAT'S WHY WE'RE STANDING
-SO FAR BACK. -UNDERSTOOD.
THE THERMITE FLARES UP
TO 4,500 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THE SAND REDUCES THE FLAME,
BUT THE THERMITE STAYS ON FIRE
UNTIL IT BURNS ITSELF UP.
♪♪
NEXT UP, BAKING SODA, AN
INGREDIENT COMMONLY USED
TO PUT OUT GREASE FIRES
AND ELECTRICAL FIRES.
♪♪
-OH. -HOLY MACKEREL.
-NOPE. -WOW.
♪♪
YEAH. IT'S LIKE A LITTLE
VOLCANO COMING OUT OF THERE.
- BAKING SODA DID NOT WORK.
- AND THAT WAS KIND OF SCARY,
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S IN YOUR
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AT HOME,
-THE YELLOW DUST. -WOW.
Delaney: AGAIN, THE THERMITE STAYS ON FIRE
UNTIL IT COMPLETELY BURNS UP.
-WHO VOTED FOR WATER? -ME.
ALL RIGHT. WATER'S NEXT. YOU MIGHT NOTICE
THAT WE'RE DOING IT A
LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
INSTEAD OF KIND OF EMBEDDING
IT DOWN IN THE WATER,
WE'RE PUTTING IT IN A LITTLE TENNIS BALL.
WE'RE GOING TO LIGHT IT FIRST,
BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE
TO LIGHT IT UNDERWATER. NICK, GO FOR IT.
ARE WE STANDING BACK FAR ENOUGH?
-ARE YOU READY? -I'M READY.
♪♪
-OH. -HOLY... WOW! AWESOME.
-WOW. -STILL BURNING.
♪♪
-IT'S STILL BURNING. -AWESOME.
THE BUBBLES COMING UP
FROM IT WERE MAKING FIRE.
♪♪
Nick: LOOK AT HOW IT MAKES THE WATER BLACK.
THERMITE IS THIS REALLY
INTERESTING REACTION.
IT CREATES ITS OWN OXYGEN TO CREATE FLAMES,
SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN
THE OPEN AIR IN ORDER TO BURN.
IT CAN GO UNDERWATER
AND STILL KEEP BURNING,
AND THEN AFTER IT DOES THAT,
IT CREATES MOLTEN IRON
BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE HEAT
THAT'S GENERATED IN THE REACTION,
AND THAT'S THAT BUBBLY BURNING IRON
THAT YOU SEE INSIDE THE WATER.
EVEN THOUGH WE WERE THINKING
THE WATER WAS GOING TO WORK,
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE WATER DOES NOT WORK.
-I FEEL DISAPPOINTED NOW. -IT'S OKAY.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
-YOU'LL GET THEM NEXT TIME. -ALL RIGHT.
SO, THE PRACTICAL
APPLICATIONS OF THERMITE...
UNDERWATER WELDING.
-OH. -WORKS PRETTY WELL.
Delaney: THERMITE IS THE
VICTOR IN THIS SHOWDOWN.
NICK AND ANNE-LISE ARE GOING
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
TO FIND SOMETHING THAT CAN STOP ITS FLAME.
♪♪
BUT FIRST, WHAT ELSE CAN FUEL A FIRE?
WE'RE CHALLENGING SOME PEOPLE ON THE STREET
TO GUESS WHICH EVERYDAY
ITEMS ARE MOST FLAMMABLE.
-DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? -YEAH. YEAH.
ALL RIGHT. SO, I HAVE
THESE THREE ITEMS HERE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PREDICTIONS
AS TO WHICH ONE YOU THINK WILL BURN BEST?
- THE STICK AND THE... YEAH.
- THE STICK AND THE LEAF?
-LET'S FIND OUT. -OKAY.
♪♪
OH, NO.
STILL A LOT OF MOISTURE
LEFT IN THE PLANT, I THINK.
-YEAH. -WHAT ABOUT YOU?
I'M GOING TO GO FOR THE
CHIPS IN THE MIDDLE THERE.
ALL RIGHT.
♪♪
SO, THE CHIPS BURN REAL WELL
'CAUSE THEY'RE MADE OF CORN
AND THEY'RE COVERED IN
OIL, KIND OF LIKE A CANDLE,
SO THEY WORK VERY NICELY, AND
THEY'LL LAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
ALL RIGHT. WHAT ABOUT THE PING-PONG BALL?
IT'S, LIKE, CHEMICALLY MADE,
SO MAYBE IT'LL CATCH ON FIRE?
-YOU READY? -YEAH.
HERE YOU GO.
WHOA.
♪♪
Delaney: WE ARE TESTING TO
SEE WHICH OF THESE ITEMS
IS THE MOST FLAMMABLE.
WHAT ABOUT THE PING-PONG BALL?
IT'S, LIKE, CHEMICALLY MADE,
SO MAYBE IT'LL CATCH ON FIRE?
♪♪
-NICE. -WHOA.
YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THIS KIND OF PING-PONG BALL
IS MADE OUT OF A MATERIAL
CALLED NITROCELLULOSE,
SO IT BURNS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY.
WE WERE ABLE TO NOT ONLY
BURN THE PING-PONG BALL,
BUT THE PING-PONG BALL IS GONE.
Delaney: THE PING-PONG BALL IS
MADE OUT OF NITROCELLULOSE,
ALSO KNOWN AS GUN COTTON,
A MILD EXPLOSIVE USED IN
ROCKETS AND PROPELLANTS.
NITROCELLULOSE IS THE SAME MATERIAL
THAT WAS USED TO MAKE
MOVIE FILM IN THE EARLY 1900s.
♪♪
COMBINING FLAME WITH PING-PONG BALLS
CAN CREATE INTERESTING RESULTS.
WE FOUND SOME PING-PONG
PLAYERS AT THIS LOCAL BREWERY
TO HELP US PLAY A DIFFERENT KIND
OF GAME, NO PADDLE NECESSARY.
HEY, EVERYBODY. OUR FRIEND KEVIN
IS OUT BACK WITH A PING-PONG BALL.
Darren: IT'S GOING TO
INVOLVE FIRE AND SPEED.
I THINK YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO ENJOY THIS.
-SOUND GOOD? -COME WITH US?
-SURE! -ALL RIGHT. LETS GO.
KEVIN HAS A DIFFERENT WAY
OF GETTING THAT PING-PONG BALL
TO MOVE WITHOUT USING A PADDLE,
WHICH IS WHY WE INTERRUPTED
YOUR PING-PONG GAME.
SO, KEVIN, YOU'VE GOT LIQUID
NITROGEN THERE, RIGHT?
-YEAH. -IT'S VERY, VERY COLD,
EVAPORATING CONSTANTLY, AS YOU CAN SEE.
SO WHEN WE PUT IT IN A PING-PONG BALL,
SOMETHING KIND OF INTERESTING HAPPENS.
KEVIN, GO FOR IT.
KEVIN PUMPS IN THE LIQUID NITROGEN
THROUGH A HOLE HE'S DRILLED IN THE BALL.
NICE AND COLD. ONCE THE BUBBLING STOPS,
YOU KNOW IT'S PROBABLY
GETTING CLOSE TO DONE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN?
DOES ANYBODY THINK IT'S GOING TO BREAK?
-BREAK, YEAH. -FREEZE AND BREAK.
-FREEZE AND THEN BREAK. -YEAH.
ALL RIGHT. I THINK IT'S GOOD.
THREE. TWO. ONE.
♪♪
Woman: NICE.
Delaney: THE BALL SPINS SUPER FAST,
ABOUT 10,000 REVOLUTIONS A MINUTE.
♪♪
LIQUID NITROGEN'S BOILING POINT
IS MINUS-320 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
WHEN KEVIN TAKES THE BALL
OUT OF THE LIQUID NITROGEN,
THE NITROGEN LEFT INSIDE THE BALL HEATS UP,
BOILS, AND BECOMES A GAS.
THIS GAS TAKES UP ABOUT 700 TIMES
THE SPACE OF LIQUID NITROGEN.
THE GAS HAS TO GO SOMEWHERE,
SO IT RUSHES OUT OF THE HOLE,
TURNING THE BALL INTO A SPINNING JET.
BUT WE DON'T JUST HAVE LIQUID NITROGEN.
YOU'VE BROUGHT ANOTHER MATERIAL?
-LIQUID PROPANE. -GOOD, OLD LIQUID PROPANE.
ONE OF THE MANY DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN NITROGEN AND PROPANE
IS THAT PROPANE IS FLAMMABLE.
KEVIN INJECTS THE BALL FULL OF PROPANE
BEFORE RELEASING IT ON THE
TABLE LINED WITH LIT CANDLES.
THERE'S ENOUGH ESCAPING
MASS TO GET THE BALL SPINNING
AT ALMOST 30,000 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE.
-THIS IS SCARY. -SHOULD WE GIVE IT A SHOT?
YEAH. I GUESS SO.
OKAY. THREE.
TWO. ONE.
[ ALL EXCLAIM ]
Woman: AWESOME.
I THINK THE PROPANE'S A
LITTLE BIT MORE POWERFUL.
Delaney: ONCE KEVIN POKES A
SMALL HOLE INSIDE OF THE BALL,
AND THIS EXPANDING GAS JETS OUT,
IT TURNS THE BALL INTO
A TINY, SPINNING ROCKET.
OKAY. HERE WE GO.
[ ALL EXCLAIM ]
THE EXPANDING PROPANE
HITS THE LIT CANDLE FLAME
AND IGNITES, CREATING A GREAT BALL OF FIRE.
Darren: IT'S A SCARY LITTLE EXPERIMENT.
"A," YOU'RE PUTTING A BUNCH OF
COMPRESSED FLAMMABLE GASES
INTO A SMALL, FLIMSY PIECE OF PLASTIC.
"B," IT'S SPINNING AT A RIDICULOUS PACE,
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT
WHEN IT LIGHTS ON FIRE,
IT JUST KIND OF ENVELOPS THE CAMERA.
Kohler: WAS THAT ONE A LITTLE WARM?
I THINK I CAN COOL YOU DOWN
WITH SOME LIQUID NITROGEN.
-THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. -OH, YEAH. DO IT.
♪♪
THANK YOU, KEVIN. [ LAUGHTER ]
SO, WE WOULDN'T RECOMMEND
USING THIS TECHNIQUE
IN AN ACTUAL PING-PONG MATCH,
BECAUSE IT IS NOT REGULATION,
AND ALSO, IT'S KIND OF DANGEROUS.
IT'D BE A SICK CURVEBALL
THOUGH. YEAH, IT WOULD.
I AM NOT PLAYING WITH
KEVIN KOHLER IN PING-PONG.
HE CHEATS, CLEARLY.
♪♪
Delaney: IT'S THE FINAL SHOWDOWN
AGAINST THE UNSTOPPABLE THERMITE.
WE FOUND THAT EVEN THE
MOST COMMON FIRE STOPPERS
LIKE SAND, BAKING SODA, AND WATER
COULD NOT SNUFF IT OUT.
TIME TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN THERMITE MEETS STEEL.
IT ISN'T SAFE TO CREATE BIG
EXPLOSIONS AT A PUBLIC PARK,
SO WE'RE AT THE COUNTY FIRE TRAINING CENTER
TO EXPERIMENT WITH THERMITE.
WELCOME TO A RAINY
TRAINING GROUNDS OUT HERE.
NOW, IS THIS RAIN GOING TO IMPACT ANYTHING?
NO. THE RAIN IS FINE.
THERMITE IS VERY, VERY HOT,
AND IT WILL WORK IN THE RAIN.
[ THUNDER RUMBLES ]
DID YOU CUE THAT RAIN?
-I CUED IT. -[ LAUGHS ]
Delaney: FIRST UP, STEEL.
MADE OF IRON AND CARBON,
STEEL IS PRIZED AS A CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL
BECAUSE OF ITS HARDNESS AND DURABILITY.
IT HAS A MELTING POINT OF 2,750 DEGREES,
BUT REMEMBER, THERMITE BURNS
AT OVER 4,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
SO LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS
TO THIS STEEL HOOD OF A CAR
WHEN WE LIGHT 30 POUNDS
OF THERMITE ON TOP OF IT.
TRYING TO CONTROL SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN'T EXTINGUISH IT OUT
WITH JUST WATER, IT'S KIND OF SCARY,
AND I'M KIND OF NERVOUS TO
SEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
HEY, YOU GUYS LOOK LIKE A
COUPLE OF BAKED POTATOES.
WE'RE ABOUT TO GET AS TOASTY
AS A BAKED POTATO IN A MINUTE.
-OOH. -LET'S DO THIS!
♪♪
-WHOA! -OH!
♪♪
Delaney: WE'RE TRYING TO
FIND OUT IF ANYTHING CAN STOP
THE SUPER-HOT FLAME OF THERMITE.
LET'S DO THIS!
♪♪
-OH, MAN. -OH, WOW. OH. OH, NO.
♪♪
-YEAH! -YEAH!
ALL RIGHT!
-THAT'S CRAZY. -LOOKS LIKE LAVA.
♪♪
-OH, MY GOSH. -OH, THERE IT IS.
THERE IT IS, POURING RIGHT OUT THE BOTTOM.
IN JUST 15 SECONDS, THERMITE MELTS A HOLE
STRAIGHT THROUGH THE
HOOD, INCINERATING THE STEEL.
-WOW. -I'D SAY THAT WORKED.
Man: AROUND THE AREA
WHERE IT BURNED THROUGH
IS STILL ABOUT 900 DEGREES.
THIS IS SOLID STEEL,
SO IT TAKES A COUPLE OF
THOUSAND DEGREES TO GET THROUGH.
IT'S JUST AN IMPRESSIVE
DISPLAY OF CHEMISTRY.
Delaney: IT'S ALSO
IMPRESSIVE THAT THE CLAY POT
AND CONCRETE DON'T MELT.
THAT'S BECAUSE AS THE REACTION OCCURS,
HOT, MOLTEN METAL POURS OUT OF THE HOLE,
TAKING THE HEAT WITH IT.
ALSO, SINCE THE MIX IS IGNITED
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE POT,
THE THERMITE NEXT TO THE
CLAY POT IS THE LAST TO LIGHT
AND PROTECTS POT FROM THE
HEAT UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT.
SO IT WORKS ON STEEL.
- WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?
- HOW ABOUT SOME TITANIUM?
IS IT GOVERNMENT GRADE?
-IT'S MILITARY GRADE. -LET'S DO IT.
Delaney: TITANIUM, KNOWN AS ONE
OF THE STRONGEST METALS ON EARTH.
ITS MELTING POINT IS OVER
3,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
IT'S USED AS AN ALLOY WITH IRON
AND ALUMINUM TO PRODUCE STRONG,
LIGHTWEIGHT METALS FOR
THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY.
IF TITANIUM MELTS AT 3,000 DEGREES,
AND THERMITE BURNS AT OVER 4,000 DEGREES,
ANYONE WANT TO BET ON THE TITANIUM?
WHOO!
OH!
-WOW. LOOK AT THAT. -WHOA!
♪♪
WHOA! [ LAUGHS ]
♪♪
- THAT'S HOT, HUH?
- OH, MY GOD. THAT IS SO COOL.
WILL IT GO THROUGH?
I THINK IT POURED OFF OF IT.
DIDN'T EVEN CRACK OR DEFORM THE PLATE.
THERMITE'S VERY HOT, BUT
TITANIUM'S VERY STRONG.
IMPRESSIVELY STRONG.
SO EVEN THOUGH THERMITE
HAS A HIGHER TEMPERATURE
THAN TITANIUM, THIS IS
ARMOR-GRADE TITANIUM.
IT'S SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO
TAKE HIGH-TEMPERATURE IMPACTS,
ABSORB ALL THAT HEAT, AND
DISTRIBUTE IT REALLY EASILY
WHILE STILL ABSORBING
THE BRUNT OF THE HEAT.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW IT GOT RED HOT,
BUT IT DIDN'T ACTUALLY
GET ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
Kohler: CAN YOU SEE
WHERE IT'S EXTREMELY HOT,
AND THEN MY SIDE WHERE IT'S NOT HOT AT ALL?
Nick: IT'S DAMAGED, BUT NOT A BIG HOLE.
LET'S COOL THIS BAD BOY
DOWN. [ STEAM HISSING ]
Delaney: SO TITANIUM PREVAILED,
DESPITE THE TEMPERATURE
ADVANTAGE FOR THERMITE.
SO LET'S GIVE STEEL ANOTHER CHANCE...
THIS TIME, A MUCH THICKER
VERSION THAN OUR CAR HOOD,
A 1,400-POUND STEEL SAFE.
-READY TO DO THIS, KEVIN? -YEAH.
DON'T BE ASHAMED OF RUNNING. AAH!
♪♪
-THERE IT GOES. -HOLY COW.
LOOK AT HOW HIGH UP IT'S GOING!
-YEAH. -WHOA!
-WHOA! -OH, MY GOSH.
THAT IS AWESOME.
IT'S GOT TO MELT THROUGH THIS TIME. YEAH.
IT REALLY LOOKED LIKE FLOWING
LAVA FROM, LIKE, A VOLCANO.
Woman: IT'S PRETTY CRAZY,
'CAUSE I WAS 120 FEET AWAY,
BUT I COULD REALLY FEEL THE
HEAT FROM THAT EXPLOSION.
WHAT'S THE TEMPERATURE?
7,557 DEGREES IMMEDIATELY ON IGNITION.
IT KIND OF LOOKED LIKE IT WARPED THE DOOR,
BUT I DON'T THINK IT WENT THROUGH, GUYS.
Delaney: SO WHY DIDN'T THE
THERMITE BURN THROUGH THE SAFE?
FOR THE SAME REASON IT DIDN'T BURN THROUGH
THE THICK PANEL OF TITANIUM.
YOU'VE GOT EVERYTHING
WORKING AGAINST YOU HERE.
YOU'VE GOT A REALLY THICK PLATE OF STEEL,
PROBABLY TOO THICK TO GO THROUGH,
SO IT'S TRANSFERRING ALL THAT
HEAT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SAFE,
AND THEN IT'S GOT REINFORCING CONCRETE
THAT CAN ALSO ABSORB A LOT OF HEAT.
I THINK THE THERMITE
HAS FINALLY MET ITS MATCH.