In your research have you used any chemicals to do explosions?

Question: In your research have you used any chemicals to do explosions?
- Keywords:
  chemical,
  explosion
Asked by phippardjwh to David, Helen, Ian, rhysphillips, Sarah on 24 Jun 2011.
- Rhys Phillips answered on 20 Jun 2011:
  
  Nope, just a lot of electricity!
- Sarah Cook answered on 20 Jun 2011:
  
  No, explosions are a bit dangerous esp in a lab!
- Ian van der Linde answered on 21 Jun 2011:
  
  No! This might be more the sort of thing a Chemist might get up to. Usually by accident though.
- Helen Fletcher answered on 24 Jun 2011:
  
  I use a lot of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide which sublimates as it heats up but keeps samples very cold). If you put some in a sealed container by mistake, the pressure of the sublimating gas will eventually cause the container to explode (because atoms in a solid are very densely packed and as they turn to gas they take up a lot more space- this leads to pressure build up until eventually the gas bursts out of the enclosed space).

Question: In your research have you used any chemicals to do explosions?