Prince Rupert's Drop EXPLODING in Epoxy Resin at 456,522 fps - Smarter Every Day 273

SmarterEveryDay

29 May 202221:24

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this episode of Smarter Every Day, Destin explores the fascinating properties of Prince Rupert's Drops, a type of glass that's incredibly tough yet shatters explosively when its tail is nicked. The video revisits the topic to delve deeper into the science behind these drops, inspired by an experiment conducted by Robert Hooke. Destin and his team attempt to capture the spatial fragmentation of the glass as it explodes using high-speed cameras and epoxy to suspend and control the drops. Despite several challenges, including issues with the epoxy's hardness and an unexpected bug encounter, they manage to capture intriguing footage of the drops' explosive fragmentation. The video concludes with a reflection on the joy of scientific exploration and the importance of hands-on learning, along with a sponsor message for Brilliant, an interactive learning platform for STEM concepts.

Takeaways

🔍 Destin from Smarter Every Day revisits the Prince Rupert's Drop, a resilient glass object with a peculiar property of being incredibly tough yet easily shattered at its tail.
🔬 The experiment aims to recreate and understand the fragmentation pattern of the Prince Rupert's Drop when it explodes, using a technique similar to one used by Robert Hooke.
👓 Science safety first: The team uses goggles and other protective measures while handling the glass and chemicals.
🎓 The process involves making Prince Rupert's Drops by dripping molten glass into cool water, which results in a high compressive stress on the outside and high tensile stress on the inside.
🔨 The drops are incredibly tough; they can withstand a hammer blow but will explode if their tail is nicked.
🚀 Destin and his team use high-speed cameras to capture the moment the Prince Rupert's Drop shatters, aiming to analyze the spatial fragment distribution.
⏱️ The experiment involves suspending the drop in epoxy, which is allowed to harden to a specific degree before the drop is broken to observe the fragmentation.
🧪 A two-part epoxy is used, mixed carefully to remove air bubbles, and the process is timed to get the right hardness for the experiment.
📹 High-speed cameras are set up at different angles to capture the fracture wave propagation and the radial explosion of the drop.
🤔 Despite careful preparation, the team faces challenges in achieving the desired result, learning that the epoxy's hardness and the drop's positioning are critical factors.
🔄 The team makes adjustments for a second attempt, including changing the method of breaking the drop and using smaller boxes to improve visibility.
✨ The final experiment results in a beautiful, though not completely as planned, fragmentation pattern, highlighting the artistic beauty of scientific exploration.

Q & A

What is a Prince Rupert's Drop?
-A Prince Rupert's Drop is a type of glass that has an extremely hard outer shell due to high compressive stress, yet a very fragile interior with high tensile stress. It is tough enough to withstand a hammer blow but will shatter completely if its tail is nicked.
Why is Destin revisiting the Prince Rupert's Drop?
-Destin is revisiting the Prince Rupert's Drop to explore aspects he did not previously, particularly to recreate an experiment performed by Hooke to understand the spatial fragment distribution of the glass when it shatters.
What is the significance of the experiment performed by Hooke?
-Hooke's experiment is significant because it helped to visualize the fragmentation pattern of a Prince Rupert's Drop after it was suspended in a hardening substance and then its tail was nicked. This provided insights into the physics of the drop's shattering process.
Why does Destin use a two-part epoxy in his experiment?
-Destin uses a two-part epoxy to suspend the Prince Rupert's Drop before it shatters. The epoxy is intended to hold the drop in place and allow Destin to observe the fragmentation pattern as it explodes without the fragments flying away.
What is the purpose of using high-speed cameras in the experiment?
-High-speed cameras are used to capture the rapid and complex process of the Prince Rupert's Drop shattering. They allow Destin to observe the fracture wave propagation and the spatial fragment distribution in detail.
Why does Destin mention the bullet experiment with the Prince Rupert's Drop?
-Destin mentions the bullet experiment to emphasize the extraordinary toughness of the Prince Rupert's Drop. The fact that the drop can shatter a bullet without breaking itself until its tail is disturbed demonstrates its unique properties.
What is the 'Magic Smoke' time mentioned by Destin and Trent?
-The 'Magic Smoke' time refers to the specific moment when the epoxy starts to smoke, indicating it is transitioning from a liquid to a gelatinous state. Destin and Trent use this as a visual cue to determine the right time to conduct their experiment.
What is the role of the Mix-o-tronic 3000™ in the experiment?
-The Mix-o-tronic 3000™ is a fictional device humorously referred to by Destin as a tool for mixing the two-part epoxy. Its purpose is to ensure the epoxy is thoroughly mixed and free of air bubbles before being used in the experiment.
Why does Destin coat the Prince Rupert's Drop at the end of the video?
-Destin coats the Prince Rupert's Drop to prevent air from entering it, intending to create a desk ornament. This is an example of his ongoing experimentation and curiosity about the properties of the drop.
What is the significance of the laminar flow fountain update at the end of the video?
-The laminar flow fountain update serves as a teaser for another topic that Destin is exploring. It also demonstrates his commitment to ongoing learning and experimentation, which is a central theme of the Smarter Every Day series.
How does the赞助商 (sponsor) mentioned in the video contribute to the production of Smarter Every Day?
-The sponsor, Brilliant, contributes financially to the production of Smarter Every Day by providing sponsorship for the video. This support allows Destin to access resources such as high-speed cameras and other equipment necessary for his experiments.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Introduction to Prince Rupert's Drop Experiment

Destin, the host of Smarter Every Day, revisits the subject of Prince Rupert's Drops, a type of glass that is incredibly tough yet can be made to explode by simply breaking its tail. He aims to recreate an experiment by Hooke, one of the first scientists to study these drops, to understand their fragmentation. The video sets up the experiment, introduces Cal, who will help make the drops, and discusses the properties of glass that lead to the creation of a Prince Rupert's Drop. The process involves dripping molten glass into cool water, resulting in a drop with a hard, compressively stressed exterior and a molten, tensile-stressed interior.

05:03

🧪 Setting Up the Epoxy Resin for the Experiment

Destin and Trent, his assistant, prepare to capture the fragmentation of a Prince Rupert's Drop using high-speed cameras. They plan to suspend the drop in a plexiglass box filled with epoxy resin. The process involves mixing a two-part epoxy, degassing it to remove bubbles, and timing the hardening of the resin to coincide with the drop's explosion. The goal is to observe the spatial fragment distribution as the drop explodes. However, their initial attempt does not yield the desired results, with the epoxy solidifying too hard and impeding the explosion. They review the footage and discuss the need to adjust their approach.

10:07

🔄 Adjusting the Experiment and Dealing with Challenges

Destin and Trent make adjustments to their experiment, changing their technique to better capture the explosion of the Prince Rupert's Drop. They switch from using pliers to bolt cutters to avoid torquing the drop and create smaller boxes to improve visibility through the epoxy. They also refine their timing for inserting the drop into the epoxy, aiming for a moment referred to as 'magic smoke time,' which is when the epoxy begins to smoke, indicating it's about to harden. Despite the challenges and a failed attempt that results in a hot epoxy burn, they remain enthusiastic and committed to learning from their observations.

15:07

📹 Analyzing the Results and Reflecting on the Experience

After conducting the experiment, Destin reviews the high-speed footage, which reveals a bubble-like shockwave emanating from the shattered Prince Rupert's Drop. He expresses uncertainty about the exact phenomena they observed, such as whether it was internal stresses in the epoxy or air moving through the drop. Despite not achieving the exact outcome he envisioned, Destin appreciates the process of scientific exploration and the beauty of discovery. He also provides an update on a separate project, the laminar flow fountain, and expresses his gratitude for the support from sponsors and patrons, which enables the production of the video series.

20:08

🎥 Final Thoughts and Promotion of the Sponsor

Destin concludes the episode by thanking the viewers and patrons for their support, which allows the use of specialized equipment like high-speed cameras. He also promotes the sponsor, Brilliant, an educational platform offering interactive courses in STEM fields. He encourages viewers to visit Brilliant.org/SmarterEveryDay for a free sign-up and a 20% discount on the annual premium membership. The episode ends with a reminder of the joy and fulfillment found in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the world.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Prince Rupert's Drop

Prince Rupert's Drop is a unique type of glass object that has a hard, tough exterior and a vulnerable tail. It is named after Prince Rupert of the Rhine who was known to have an interest in the scientific and experimental aspects of his time. In the video, Destin explores the physical properties of these drops, demonstrating their incredible resilience to hammer strikes and their fragility when their tail is nicked, causing the entire structure to shatter explosively. This forms the central theme of the video as Destin attempts to understand and capture the fragmentation process in slow motion.

💡Glass

Glass is a non-crystalline amorphous solid that is often transparent and has widespread technical, container, and decorative use. In the context of the video, glass is used to create Prince Rupert's Drops, which are made by dripping molten glass into cold water. The rapid cooling process results in the distinctive properties of the drops, with the outside shell being in high compressive stress and the inside in high tensile stress.

💡Compressive Stress

Compressive stress is the physical force that tends to squash or compress an object. In the video, the outer shell of the Prince Rupert's Drop is under extreme compressive stress, which makes it incredibly tough and resistant to breaking when struck, as demonstrated by the experiment where a hammer is used to hit the drop without causing it to shatter.

💡Tensile Stress

Tensile stress is the force that tends to stretch or elongate an object. Inside a Prince Rupert's Drop, there is a high tensile stress, which makes the interior more susceptible to breaking. This is evident when the tail of the drop is nicked, causing the entire structure to explode due to the release of the stored energy from the tensile stress.

💡Epoxy

Epoxy is a strong adhesive used in various applications, including in the video where it is used to suspend and harden around a Prince Rupert's Drop for an experiment. The epoxy is mixed and degassed to remove bubbles, then allowed to reach a specific hardness before the drop is shattered, capturing the fragmentation process.

💡High-Speed Camera

A high-speed camera is a device that is capable of capturing images at a much higher rate than the normal frequency of the eye, often used to record events that occur in fractions of a second. In the video, Destin uses two high-speed cameras to film the Prince Rupert's Drop as it shatters, aiming to analyze the spatial fragmentation and the dynamics of the explosion in slow motion.

💡Fragmentation

Fragmentation in the context of the video refers to the process by which the Prince Rupert's Drop breaks into many pieces when its tail is nicked. Destin is interested in the spatial distribution of these fragments as they fly away from the drop during the explosion. The high-speed cameras are used to capture this fragmentation in detail.

💡Shockwave

A shockwave is a type of moving disturbance in a medium, such as air or glass, that propagates energy from one point to another. In the video, Destin observes a shockwave moving through the Prince Rupert's Drop upon its shattering. This phenomenon is part of the complex physics involved in the fragmentation of the drop and is captured by the high-speed cameras.

💡Viscosity

Viscosity is a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow. It is a crucial factor in the experiment as the epoxy's viscosity affects how it hardens and interacts with the Prince Rupert's Drop during the fragmentation process. Destin and Trent discuss the need to find the correct viscosity for the epoxy to capture the desired explosion effect.

💡Explosiveness

Explosiveness, in the context of the video, refers to the rapid and forceful manner in which the Prince Rupert's Drop disintegrates when its tail is nicked. This characteristic behavior of the drop is what makes it so fascinating and is the primary focus of the experiments conducted by Destin, who aims to understand and visualize this explosive phenomenon.

💡STEM Education

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It is a learning approach that integrates these disciplines to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The video is sponsored by Brilliant, a platform that offers STEM education through interactive courses. Destin promotes the platform as a way for viewers to engage with scientific concepts in a hands-on manner, similar to the experiments conducted in the video.

Highlights

Destin revisits the Prince Rupert's Drop to explore its properties further.

The Prince Rupert's Drop is a unique piece of glass that's extremely tough but will explode if its tail is nicked.

Destin plans to recreate an experiment by Hooke to observe the spatial fragment distribution of the glass fragmentation.

Safety first: The team wears goggles before starting the experiment.

Prince Rupert's Drops are made by dripping molten glass into cool water, creating a high compressive stress on the outside.

The experiment involves suspending a Prince Rupert's Drop in epoxy and observing the explosion upon breaking the tail.

High-speed cameras are used to capture the fracture wave and explosion in slow motion.

Destin and Trent use a two-part epoxy to coat the Prince Rupert's Drop and observe the hardening process.

An unexpected bug gets caught in the epoxy, leading to light-hearted humor about 'Jurassic Park'.

The first attempt at capturing the explosion is not as successful as they had hoped due to the epoxy solidifying too hard.

The team discusses the need to adjust the timing of the epoxy's hardness to better capture the explosion.

A second attempt is made with changes to the method, including using bolt cutters and smaller boxes to improve the experiment.

Despite challenges, the team is able to capture some fascinating footage of the spatial fragment distribution.

Destin expresses his passion for the scientific process and the joy of discovery, even when results aren't as expected.

The video is sponsored by Brilliant, an interactive learning platform for STEM subjects.

A laminar flow fountain update is provided, showing ongoing experimentation and learning.

Destin thanks the patrons for their support, which enables the use of specialized equipment like high-speed cameras.

The final attempt with the coated Prince Rupert's Drop is shown, demonstrating the unpredictable nature of the experiment.

Transcripts

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Prince Rupert's Drops Glass Science Explosive Physics High-Speed Cameras Destin's Experiments Material Properties Scientific Curiosity STEM Education Lookout Mountain Alabama Interactive Learning