Liquid Oxygen (slow motion) - Periodic Table of Videos

TL;DR

Liquid oxygen poured into a cold metal vessel creates a foggy liquid, and dropping hot charcoal onto it causes a pulsing flame due to interactions between chemistry and physics.

Transcript

e when we were working with Destin and his high-speed camera we tried one of our favorite experiments Neil's burning cauldron now the demonstration consists of two parts the first one is taking a metal vessel and pouring in liquid oxygen when you watch it normally it's just pouring stuff out of a thermos flask what's interesting in high speed is th... Read More

Key Insights

• 🫗 Pouring liquid oxygen into a cold metal vessel results in a foggy liquid due to boiling and low temperature effects.
• 😅 Dropping hot charcoal onto the liquid causes bouncing, vaporization of oxygen, and a pulsing flame.
• 🥺 The combination of chemistry and physics leads to unexpected and intriguing phenomena.
• ❓ Surface tension, viscosity, and temperature differences contribute to the observed effects.
• 😅 The interaction between the hot charcoal and oxygen gas creates a lifting and burning cycle.
• 🚄 High-speed observation unveils the complexity and intricacies of seemingly simple processes.
• ❓ Chemistry and physics complement each other, determining the behavior and outcome of various phenomena.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why does liquid oxygen poured into a metal vessel create a foggy liquid?

The foggy appearance is caused by the boiling of the liquid oxygen, which is significantly colder than the surrounding air. The cloudiness is actually water vapor in the air.

Q: Why does the hot charcoal bounce and start burning when it hits the surface?

The hot charcoal initially bounces because it has vaporized some oxygen, creating gas that lifts it off the surface. As it bounces back down, it continues burning, creating a pulsing flame.

Q: Why does the flame of the charcoal go dimmer and brighter in a pulsing manner?

When the charcoal is sitting on the oxygen cloud, it burns more brightly. As it consumes the available gas, it sinks onto the liquid surface, vaporizes more oxygen, and starts burning again, creating a pulsing effect.

Q: What is the significance of the chemistry-physics combination in this experiment?

The experiment highlights that seemingly straightforward phenomena can become more interesting and complex when observed at high speed. It emphasizes the interplay between chemistry and physics, showcasing how they both contribute to the observed effects.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Pouring liquid oxygen into a metal vessel creates a foggy liquid due to the low temperature and boiling effect.

• Dropping hot charcoal onto the liquid causes it to bounce, vaporizes more oxygen, and creates a pulsing flame.

• The experiment showcases how the combination of chemistry and physics can lead to unexpected and intriguing phenomena.