Fun With Chemistry

One of the more fun classes in high school was chemistry lab, especially on the days when you made things explode or catch fire...on purpose.

Relive those good old days with our videos of exploding chemistry experiments.

Stock Videos of Exploding Chemical Reactions

The Barking Dog experiment and the Rainbow Clock were very popular. But it's hard to beat the surprisingly loud explosion of a nitrogen triiodide explosion when it's touched lightly by a feather. 

And no one expects a tiny piece of metal dropped into water to steam, hiss, dance about and eventually explode, but lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), and caesium (Cs) do exactly that.

Gifts for the Chemistry Geeks

Here's what happens in each reaction:

Let's check what happens if we would drop a pea-size piece of metal in water.

• Lithium just sizzles on top of the water, but doesn't explode.

• Sodium floats on top of the water, then ignites with a yellow-orange flame and also doesn't explode.

• Potassium floats and skitters around violently, then ignites with a violet flame, and explodes.

• Rubidium sinks, reacts very violently and then explodes.

• Caesium explodes on impact with the water giving off a huge cloud of smoke.

Kinda makes you want to go back to school and study chemistry again.