What Is Liquid Nitrogen (Mr. Wizard)

Official Mr.Wizard's World Channel
12 Feb 201407:01
EducationalLearning
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TLDRIn this intriguing experiment, liquid nitrogen is used to demonstrate the extreme effects of cold on various materials. The video showcases how everyday items such as a hot dog, rubber tubing, an apple, and solder react when immersed in the cryogenic liquid. The nitrogen causes the materials to freeze, altering their properties dramatically. For instance, the rubber tubing becomes rigid, the apple shatters into a powdered form, and the solder spring loses its elasticity. The experiment concludes with a rubber ball being thrown, its insides shrunk by the nitrogen, illustrating the transformative power of extreme cold on the molecular structure of matter.

Takeaways
  • 🧪 Liquid nitrogen can create a boiling effect due to its extremely low temperature, even though it looks like boiling water.
  • 🥼 Safety precautions are crucial when handling liquid nitrogen, such as wearing safety glasses to protect the eyes.
  • 🔧 Common materials like flour, hot dog, rubber tubing, apple, and solder change their properties dramatically when exposed to liquid nitrogen.
  • 🍎 When frozen, materials become more brittle; for example, the apple turns into a powdered state upon impact.
  • 🌭 The rubber tubing, which is flexible at room temperature, becomes stiff and breaks easily when frozen with liquid nitrogen.
  • 🔩 Solder, a soft material used to join wires, loses its springiness after being frozen in liquid nitrogen.
  • 🔨 Striking frozen materials with a hammer, such as a hot dog or an apple, results in them shattering due to their increased fragility.
  • 🎾 Objects filled with air, like a rubber ball, will deform due to the reduced air pressure inside when frozen, causing them to take on a dimple.
  • 💥 The physical properties of materials can be temporarily altered by extreme cold, changing their molecular structure and behavior.
  • 🌡️ Temperature changes, especially extreme cold, can cause materials to become less flexible and more rigid, affecting their usability and functionality.
Q & A

  • What was the liquid in the video that appeared to be boiling?

    -The liquid that appeared to be boiling was actually liquid nitrogen.

  • Why did the liquid nitrogen give the appearance of boiling?

    -The liquid nitrogen appeared to be boiling because of the heat from the table and the glass bowl, which raised its temperature to 290 degrees below 0 Celsius, creating the illusion of boiling.

  • What safety measure was taken when handling the liquid nitrogen?

    -Safety glasses were used to protect the eyes from the extremely cold liquid nitrogen.

  • What happened to the Carnation when it was dipped in the liquid nitrogen and hit on the table?

    -The Carnation was frozen instantly due to the extremely low temperature of the liquid nitrogen, making it brittle and causing it to shatter when hit on the table.

  • What is solder and how was it used in the video?

    -Solder is a soft material with a low melting point, typically used to attach wires. In the video, it was used to demonstrate how extreme cold affects its properties by making a non-bouncy spring out of it.

  • What happened to the materials like the hot dog, rubber tubing, and apple when they were placed in liquid nitrogen?

    -The materials underwent significant changes due to the extreme cold. The rubber tubing floated because it became less dense, the hot dog was boiling due to the rapid evaporation of nitrogen, and the apple turned into a frozen and powdered state.

  • How is liquid nitrogen produced?

    -Liquid nitrogen is produced by taking air, compressing it, and removing heat to convert both nitrogen and oxygen into liquid form. The oxygen is then separated, leaving behind the nitrogen.

  • What was observed when the rubber ball was thrown after being in liquid nitrogen?

    -The rubber ball, which was previously flexible, had a dimple in it due to the inside air being compressed. When thrown, it did not bounce as expected but felt like a piece of potato chip, indicating a loss of flexibility and air pressure.

  • What property of materials changes when they are exposed to extremely low temperatures?

    -When materials are exposed to extremely low temperatures, their molecular structure changes, often becoming less flexible and more rigid or brittle.

  • How did the experiment demonstrate the difference between a gas and a liquid in terms of their behavior at different temperatures?

    -The experiment showed that a gas, like nitrogen, which normally fills a container at room temperature, can become a liquid when subjected to extremely low temperatures. This change in state alters its physical properties, such as how it interacts with materials and its reactivity.

  • What is the significance of understanding how materials behave at different temperatures?

    -Understanding how materials behave at different temperatures is crucial for various applications, including engineering, manufacturing, and scientific research. It helps in predicting the performance and safety of materials in extreme conditions, such as those found in the Arctic or in industrial processes.

Outlines
00:00
🌡️ Liquid Nitrogen Experiments

This paragraph describes a series of experiments involving liquid nitrogen, which appears to be boiling due to the heat from the table and glass bowl. The presenter instructs Kristen to dip a Carnation into the liquid nitrogen and then hit it on the table, causing it to freeze. Various materials such as a piece of apple, a hot dog, rubber tubing, and a piece of solder are also placed into the liquid nitrogen to demonstrate the extreme cold's effects on different substances. The presenter explains that nitrogen, which is a gas at room temperature, has been liquefied and that the cold changes the molecular structure of the materials, making them less flexible and more rigid. The experiment concludes with a demonstration of how the nitrogen was obtained by compressing and cooling air.

05:01
🔨 Effects of Cold on Materials

In this paragraph, the focus is on the effects of extreme cold, such as that from liquid nitrogen, on various materials. The presenter retrieves the items that were previously submerged in the liquid nitrogen and discusses the changes they underwent. The rubber tubing, which was once flexible, is now stiff and breaks easily upon impact. The solder, which was non-springy, has become springy after being exposed to the cold. The presenter also demonstrates the effect of cold on air by showing a ball that has been compressed and now has a dimple in it. The overall message is that extreme cold can drastically alter the properties of materials, making them unrecognizable from their original state.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen is a cryogenic substance with a temperature of -196°C (290°F below zero Celsius). It is used in the video to demonstrate the effects of extreme cold on various materials. In the script, liquid nitrogen is poured into a glass bowl, creating a boiling effect due to the rapid evaporation, which is a key visual in the demonstration.
💡Freezing
Freezing is the process of lowering the temperature of a substance to the point where it solidifies. In the context of the video, the demonstration shows how materials like flour, a hot dog, rubber tubing, and an apple are frozen when they come into contact with liquid nitrogen, changing their physical properties dramatically.
💡Boiling
Boiling is the process where a liquid turns into a gas due to heating. In the video, the term is initially misunderstood as the 'boiling' of the liquid nitrogen is actually the rapid evaporation of the nitrogen as it comes into contact with warmer surroundings, creating a visual effect of boiling.
💡Safety glasses
Safety glasses are protective eyewear used to shield the eyes from potential hazards such as flying debris or harmful liquids. In the video, the use of safety glasses is emphasized to protect the eyes from the extreme cold of the liquid nitrogen and any potential splashes or particles that could cause injury.
💡Solder
Solder is a metal alloy used to join metal parts together by melting it into a liquid state and applying it to the joint. In the video, solder is used to demonstrate how its physical properties change when frozen with liquid nitrogen; it becomes very hard and loses its springiness, which is a key point in illustrating the effects of extreme cold on materials.
💡Rubber tubing
Rubber tubing is a flexible and hollow tube made from rubber, used for various purposes including fluid transfer. In the video, the rubber tubing is used to show how its flexibility is lost when exposed to liquid nitrogen, becoming stiff and brittle, which is then demonstrated by hitting it with a hammer and causing it to shatter.
💡Apple
An apple is a common fruit used in the video to illustrate the effects of extreme cold. When the apple is placed in liquid nitrogen and then hit, it shatters into a powdered form, showing how the molecular structure of the fruit changes and becomes extremely fragile at such low temperatures.
💡Hot dog
A hot dog is a type of sausage often used as a snack or meal. In the video, a hot dog is used to demonstrate the boiling effect of liquid nitrogen and how it changes the appearance and texture of the food, emphasizing the extreme cold properties of the liquid.
💡Physical properties
Physical properties are the characteristics of a substance that can be observed or measured without changing its chemical identity. In the video, the physical properties of various materials are altered by the extreme cold of liquid nitrogen, such as the rubber tubing becoming stiff and the solder losing its springiness.
💡Molecular structure
Molecular structure refers to the arrangement of atoms within a molecule and the chemical bonds that hold them together. In the video, the molecular structure of materials is emphasized as the reason behind their changed properties when frozen with liquid nitrogen, as the extreme cold alters how the molecules move and interact with each other.
💡Arctic
The Arctic refers to the polar region located at the northernmost part of the Earth. In the video, the Arctic is mentioned as an example of an environment with extremely low temperatures, where materials can undergo significant changes in their physical properties, similar to the effects demonstrated with liquid nitrogen.
Highlights

Liquid nitrogen is used to create a boiling effect at room temperature, which is visually similar to boiling water.

The heat from the table and the glass bowl can cause the liquid nitrogen to boil, raising its temperature to 290 degrees below 0 Celsius.

Safety precautions are important when handling liquid nitrogen, as it is extremely cold and can cause severe frostbite.

Everyday materials react differently when placed in liquid nitrogen, allowing for various interesting experiments and observations.

Solder, a soft material with low melting points, is used to connect wires and can be transformed into a spring-like shape when cooled in liquid nitrogen.

The molecular structure of materials changes significantly when exposed to extreme cold, altering their physical properties.

Rubber tubing becomes stiff and brittle when frozen, as demonstrated by its shattering upon impact with a hammer.

A hot dog, when frozen in liquid nitrogen, also becomes extremely fragile and shatters easily.

An apple, when frozen, turns into a powdered texture upon impact, showcasing the rapid freezing effect of liquid nitrogen.

The spring made from solder loses its springiness after being frozen in liquid nitrogen, indicating a change in its physical properties.

Liquid nitrogen is created by compressing air and removing heat to turn nitrogen and oxygen into liquid form, with the oxygen being separated.

The transformation of materials in liquid nitrogen demonstrates the impact of extreme cold on molecular structure and physical properties.

A rubber ball's air content shrinks in liquid nitrogen, causing it to deform under external air pressure.

When thrown, a frozen rubber ball behaves more like a hard object and loses its flexibility, illustrating the dramatic effects of liquid nitrogen.

Liquid nitrogen experiments provide a fun and educational way to explore the properties of materials at extremely low temperatures.

These experiments can help to understand how materials behave in different environmental conditions, such as the Arctic.

The use of liquid nitrogen in scientific demonstrations offers insights into the physical and chemical properties of substances at low temperatures.

Transcripts

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