Living on the other side of that fence has to be nerve-racking.

“Florida man creates sodium bomb in backyard”

Kevin: Mixing these ingredients together is very dangerous. Also Kevin: Today we are going to mix these ingredients together because its very dangerous

It's amazing watching this old Backyard Scientist video because..it has some actual science in it! Lol

Thank God you were wearing safety shorts.

Earlier " I was expecting a big explosion" *gets an explosion* " i didn't expect that "

Gotta say i find it impressive how much an aquarium can take before blowing

To folks thinking this was a steam explosion: Notice how the other salts simply formed a steam bubble around itself through the Leidenfrost effect. Furthermore, putting a red hot nickel ball into water leads to the same outcome (steam blanket around the glowing red hot metal ball), with no explosion. The video also clearly shows a detonation instead of a steam explosion, where superheated water vaporizes (throughout the liquid) when the pressure drops (through failure of its containment vessel) To achieve these kind of detonations as observed in the video, you need the heated liquid stream to rapidly split itself apart into tiny fragments that can heat the surrounding water at a rate fast enough (the expansion of the liquid from this heating needs to be faster than the speed of shock wave propagation in the medium). This means that the liquid droplet needs to somehow obtain some amount of energy that can overcome its own surface tension and disperse itself into tiny droplets which further increases the interface area (a self-propagating, exponential process). The main way this is done is through charge. Supposedly, the Cl- ions can react with the supercritical H2O at the superheated water-salt interface to form HCl and Na+, OH-. The superior mobility of protons in water rapidly neutralizes the OH- at this interface, leading to the fast accumulation of Na+ in the molten salt itself. This charge buildup can eventually overcome the surface tension of the salt, leading to the droplet ripping itself apart. The act of the droplet ripping itself apart will further increase the salt-water interface. Eventually the salt-water mixture turns into steam and we see the detonation in this video. I might be wrong with some of the details but I think some form of charge accumulation in the salt overcoming surface tension should be the main cause.

I dress like a tourist too when messing with 1500 degree explosion experiments

“Dont try this at home” says the guy with unlimited fish tanks

One of my favorites....the camera speed, the colors and hi-def; plus the amazing chem. reactions, how could you not like this. An updated version of this content would be appreciated.

The backyard scientist just learned the science of picking glass out of grass.

Can you do a video of how to get all the glass out of the yard?

Note to self: *Don’t walk across his yard barefoot*

I feel like u did these videos whenever they had the $1 per gallon sales at pet outlets for their tanks 😂

4:21 I dub this "the molten saltwater popcorn effect"

This is a physical process called Molten Fuel Coolant Interaction (MFCI or FCI). It is the same process that occurs with magma and water during explosive phreatomagmatic eruptions. Your example is correct, a vapour film is formed around the fuel and this expands so fast like a wave and generates the explosion. Thanks for the video! I will use it for my volcanology lectures!

All I can say is Thank God you wore your shorts and Hawaiian shirt protective gear with you.

There is something very deadly, yet exciting and awesome about watching the results of your experiments.

I just found you through Mark and thanks for that 😊 now I have loads of content to watch 👍🏻

my dad bought some salt from my uncle but he heated it up with a weird spoon thing

"Honey, what was that sound?" "Oh nothing, just Kevin making another video." "Alright, good."

Great video. I would say that you are fun to hang around with always doing something interesting and fun.

Normal people at 3:24 : Explosion! Me: Popcorn!

safety protocols, what are those!?

I bet you had fun picking up all that glass in the yard.

When I read "molten salt," I was both amazed and nervous. I thought you had somehow created NaK; which is the coolant in molten salt reactors. My grandfather used to tell stories from working at ORNL about it eating through 12 feet of concrete and exploding upon contact with water.

This is genius over and out !

,,I said im going to pour it in as fast as i can" *sets a countdown*

My science teacher showed us this on zoom.

Your lack of PPE and use of glass in explosion experiments terrify me. Otherwise, really informative! You might be dealing with a Coulomb Explosion.

Amazing videos, nothing like slow-mo and explosions

Am i the only one worried that there is now small pieces of sharp glass hidden in the grass all over his yard?

0:05 The science teacher explaining how mixing salt with water will kill everyone in a 50 kilometer radius:

It's called a 'Steam Explosion'. It's caused by violent boiling or flashing of water or ice turning into steam, occurring when water or ice is either superheated, rapidly heated, or heated by the interaction of molten materials (doesn't matter if it's salt, metal, sugar or something else). Due to the rapid evaporation of the water, it reacts violently and causes an explosion of steam due to the great increase in pressure. This is very common around volcanoes as hot lava meets sea water or ice.

The amout of effort he puts in the videos is alot, like he broke the aquarium just for content. Respekt

This video should be titled: "let's create a glass shrapnel bomb and stand in front of it!"

Tip: always wear armour in his backyard

Noooo really? Basic science is the same as when they did this stuff 20 years ago?!!! Mind blowing! It's almost like people think these are new concepts! Fantastic!

When the tank blew, woah!!! I was kinda expecting that to happen and when it did was quite spectacular 😂😂

Store worker: "Why does this guy keep coming back to buy fish tanks all day?" Store worker 2: "I don't know sounds suspicious. Go call the cops."

Can you imagine when he moves to a new house and someone else moves in and finds glass shards, metal fragments, scorch marks, and patches of color all over their backyard

just found this in 2022 here in Suffolk, England loved the rocket and salt vid combine the two, perhaps banging ideas mate. respect from a royal navy veteran in England poor queen 👑 that was funny and loved the exploding fish tanks keep safe

I worked in a foundry and the same would result when moisture is introduced in the furnace of molten metal. There is an instant vaporization of the moisture that causes a rapid expansion.

When it just splattered a little: “I was expecting an explosion” When it exploded: “I was expecting a little bit of splattering”

Do your neighbors call the police on you?

What I find amazing is that you are doing this with a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and trainers. You can still get good photographic shots without the possibility of life changing injuries.

Entertaining my inner Geek!!! Stay safe Aloha's from the Big island 🏝

“SIR! A Florida man is creating an atom bomb in his backyard!”

*Knows glass will burst* *Wears shorts and tee for next experiments*

This is badass and I subbed !

amazing camera work

My first thought: "I bet this guy is a Florida Man. I can imagine the headlines he'll create one day." Then I went to his twitter account and sure enough: Florida. And what's his latest tweet about? Buying a rocket launcher. You cannot be more Florida Man than this. This is Peak Florida Man.

now you cant walk barefoot in you backyard ever again. lol

after watching this video, i wondered if it was possible to use this physical reaction into a reactor and... the answer was YES ! :D

hi backyard scientist you are my favorite youtuber i love watching your videos i love

03:10 *Great slowmo action!* 🤯

This is why you should never let a LoL gamer fall into water

Wow. This was awesome

Congratulations, you’ve figured out the science behind depth charges.

Mentos: I can blow up a little in content with Diet Coke Moulten salt: hold my beer

-Expects an explosion. -Uses a glass tank. -Is wearing nothing. That's how supervillains are made.

2 possible reasons. 1. the heat is flashing the water to steam so fast it explodes. 2. the main substance sodium is somehow going into metal form and exploding. try dunking a solid chunk of sodium metal of the 50 grams you melted the salt and see if the same happens.

Love the perfect PPE he was wearing!

You're right when assuming a physical reaction. Molten Sodium-Chloride got's the right mixture of heat capacity, less surface tension and not too much heat conductivity to instantly form a cover of steam around it when divided by the first steam explosion. Instead there where formed a lot of small salt drops who where divided again instead of instantly form the protecting steam bubble around.

"i'mma pour it as fast as i can" *counts down from 3-1*

2:36 was so amazing, i even took a photot for that shot

I love the videos of the explosion!!

Most shops that sell tools sell welder jackets and aprons. Might be a good investment for these sorts of experiments to avoid getting burned and worse. Also, I hope your dog is safe.

This guy's neighbors must hate him.

From chat gpt: Molten salt can cause explosions when it comes into contact with water due to a phenomenon known as "thermal shock" or "steam explosion." When a substance, like molten salt, is at a very high temperature and comes into sudden contact with a much cooler substance, like water, the extreme temperature difference can lead to rapid and violent vaporization of the water. Here's what happens in more detail: 1. **Rapid Cooling:** Molten salt is at a very high temperature. When it comes into contact with water, which is at a much lower temperature, the heat energy from the molten salt is transferred to the water very quickly. 2. **Rapid Vaporization:** The intense heat causes the water to vaporize almost instantly, turning into steam. This rapid vaporization creates a sudden increase in pressure. 3. **Pressure Buildup:** The steam generates pressure within the water, and because it's trapped by the molten salt's surface layer, the pressure builds up very quickly. 4. **Explosive Release:** The pressure buildup can become so rapid and intense that it can rupture the molten salt's surface layer, causing an explosive release of steam, hot salt particles, and potentially even molten salt droplets. This explosive release is what creates the "explosion." This phenomenon is similar to what happens when you throw water onto a hot stove or into hot cooking oil, though the specifics of the reaction can vary depending on the particular substances involved. It's important to note that the presence of dissolved salts in water can also affect the vaporization process, contributing to the explosive nature of the reaction between molten salt and water.

It’s fun coming back to this video

I imagine the person next door loves you dearly...

+TheBackyardScientist Clearly the explosion is down to the analogue imbalance transition within the hyperbolic prokaryotic valance. This is because the expanse of the proton's derek-rods cannot breach the occluded pivot telomerase.

This is why I like people. We're always trying to figure out new was to blow things up.

Good to see the ultra protective Hawaiian shirt & Knickerbockers in use. I was concerned there for a moment ...

That is quite the daring protective gear. I'd wear an EOD suit or a class A HazMat suit...or jeans.

Almost any backyard scientist video must include : 1. Small protection / no protection (mostly) 2. Being near the exeperiment 3. Something very dangerous 4. Some cameras 5. Slo-mo 6. Some friends (optional) 7. In the backyard / somewhere far / somewhere in his house.

"art is an explosion" ~Deidara

Holy cow...7 years ago? Nice footage.

As a chemist I can shed some light on the reaction. First, you are correct that this reaction isn't chemical in nature. The key differences between the substances are their solubility in water, and also their thermal conductivity. The NA-CL (Sodium Chloride) is highly soluble in water, dissolving NA-CL in water is also quite endothermic and comes with a higher osmotic pressure. This means that the NA-CL distributes through the water faster than the other substances. Once the NA-CL is distributed in the water it causes the water to boil and expand. If you watch the video again you can see the other substances in a clump with the boiling water vapor in a shell around them. They boil the water before they spread through the water. Thermal conductivity is loosely defined as the rate at which a substance can heat its surroundings. If you were to increase the thermal conductivity of the NA-CL it would also boil the water before it could spread.

Am I the only one that is wondering how many fish tanks he has *edit on Grammar*

That voice crack in mix is something I completely missed and I'm rewatching this

This experiment would be worth revisiting with an even faster camera. Maybe see if the Slow Mo Guys or Smarter Every Day would do a collab

Just curious how the hell you clean up all the glass so your dog doesn't step in/ eat it? Vacuum cleaner?

2:27 screen turns white and then... “Hey you your finally awake”

Love the science expirement do u think it will react differently with inrich salt. From a desalter plant. that make salt water into drinkable water.

"hey can you pass the salt?" *Sure* _boom_ "I said pass the salt not blast the salt!"

you have more fishtanks than I've friends !!!!! how many do you got 😂 😂 😂 😂

I love how this man has gone from “ I wonder what happens if I hear that up” to “I wonder what happens when I pour this molten thing on this other thing” to making wmd’s.

kinda cool how my teachers making my class watch backyard scientist. I've been a fan for years and this is the first time any teacher shows us his videos

Alternative title: How To Make Legal Salt Bombs

2020: Kim Jung un drops 20,000 ton molten salt on america's bay.

love the videos.. the background music n this one may be a little overwhelming... a little much for me, but not enough to make me leave... Great job! :)

One of my favorite videos :D

Water: vibin' *H o T* Sodium: *mental breakdown*

In 1972 I worked at Elmira Heat Treat on upstate NY. They did various metals heat treatments to harden steel -My job as to dip 5 lawnmower blades in to a salt pot furnace for +20 seconds (incredibly hot-red/white melted salt) - move them to a special treated fire repressed oil bath to harden/cool them and then, after a set time to water bath for further cooling and then on to the drip-dry rack. One day I witnessed from +20 yards a co-worker grab from the wrong rack - the drip-dry rack of wet blades and when he dropped them in the pot pretty much all the melted salt instantly exploded out of the pot ...everywhere...he was lucky that he had protective gear on but there were serious burns on all exposed skin, upper arms and neck...I suspect he still has scars from it today

i found this video to be very educational i learned a lot :)😁

"Honey, why's our backyard gone?" "One word: Kevin." "Oh."

As a serious suggestion, have you tried heating sand/gravel to the same temperature and pouring it in. If your theory of surface area is correct then you can pick your grain size and demonstrate that finer grains make more violent steam explosions.