Why Not To Keep Your Liquid Nitrogen In A Sealed Container
Monday, September 24, 2012 - 16:30
in Physics & Chemistry
A dramatic video from a physics professor uses 1,500 ping-pong balls to teach an important lesson. Here at PopSci we use a lot of liquid nitrogen; we use it to crack locks, to mix drinks, and even just to cool off. But we're careful. Roy Lowry, a professor at Plymouth University (a fantastic professor, as far as we can tell), has created a video that demonstrates one of the dangers of good old LN. Put it in a confined space, and it tends to find its way out, rather energetically. Here, ping pong balls are the only victims of the explosion: The last time I saw this many ping-pong balls they were in zero gravity.