How to Make a Liquid Nitrogen Rocket

 by kentchemistry.com
video How to Make a Liquid Nitrogen Rocket
Liquid nitrogen explodes a soda bottle in just a few seconds. Enough to send a bucket a few hundred feet into the air.

The set up
a strong 5 gallon bucket (no handle), a metal bowl filled 1/2 way with water, a 1 liter plastic bottle

fill 1/8of the plastic bottle with liquid nitrogen and cap (****note this is not a bomb)
quickly place in the bowl with water and cover with the bucket
move away

***Another Note- never look under the bucket
.(((QUICKSILVER))). says: May 17, 2008. 11:47 AM
and ware exactly would i get liquid nitrogen? im pretty sure its illegal
knexpert1700 in reply to .(((QUICKSILVER))).Apr 27, 2012. 3:17 PM
can u use the stuff in air dusters.i think its either liquid nitrogen or carbon nioxide.
everywhere in reply to .(((QUICKSILVER))).Mar 6, 2010. 12:52 PM
illegal nah ,
just beg the local high school ( may only work if you are a student in a cool teachers class though
wizkid95 in reply to .(((QUICKSILVER))).Jan 15, 2010. 3:18 PM
To buy liquid nitrogen all you have to do is go to a welding store. Like Norco for example. It's not illegal, just like dry ice isn't...
M4industries in reply to .(((QUICKSILVER))).Jun 14, 2009. 10:43 AM
No we use it as a sheilding gas for welding. You can a) Buy some at a welding supply shop b) Use Liquid Helium to cool gaseous nitrogen c) Buy a $20,000 LN2 machine d) Get some from a local dermatology lab.
AnarchistAsian in reply to .(((QUICKSILVER))).Dec 21, 2008. 6:14 PM
illegal? OF COURSE NOT, it's just nitrogen...
senojjones in reply to .(((QUICKSILVER))).Jul 23, 2008. 7:22 PM
you cannot liquify nitrogen with dry ice. Not aware of any retail source that will sell liquid nitrogen to tourists. I suspect someone knows someone who works in a research lab.
drawe21 in reply to senojjonesMar 14, 2009. 9:49 AM
Liquid Nitrogen is -320 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit , or - 195.5 Celsius. Very cold stuff, I have worked with this often. (You should see what it does to a frog)
senojjones in reply to drawe21Mar 14, 2009. 5:41 PM
You can liquify nitrogen just like you do freon, with a compressor. Don't think you can do this with anything you can buy at Home Despot. You could probably pull it off, if you were interested in spending the money and time. I have other fish to fry. Practically speaking, you need a commercial source, or know someone who works in a hospital or science lab. We used to play with the stuff. And yes, it's really hard on frogs..
dla888 in reply to senojjonesOct 31, 2009. 1:26 PM
You can actually stick your hand in a vat of liquid nitrogen for a few seconds. This is true because your hand is so warm it causes the liquid nitrogen to evaporate. Pretty cool(bad pun), eh?

Also if this might help with the dilemma of finding liquid nitrogen, It is often used in the manufacture of aircraft parts (tubes and gaskets, I believe). If you work in a aircraft parts factory, you might be able to score some.
Bartboy in reply to .(((QUICKSILVER))).Jun 10, 2008. 8:49 PM
not illegal, just rare.
AnarchistAsian in reply to BartboyDec 21, 2008. 6:15 PM
no, not rare, just mostly used for "scientific" purposes...
szechuan53 in reply to BartboyJun 27, 2008. 12:15 PM
but seriously, where did you get it? i know how to make it out of gaseous nitrogen, but i don't have that either
drawe21 in reply to szechuan53Mar 14, 2009. 9:50 AM
Judging from the background in the video I would say a School of some type, no doubt a Science Lab.
BOXHARD in reply to szechuan53Jul 8, 2008. 8:30 PM
Use dry ice... I think that's what he meant anyway... It's frozen (liquid) Nitrogen...
jlmowery in reply to BOXHARDAug 2, 2008. 1:21 PM
No it's not. Dry ice is solid (frozen) carbon dioxide. Not the same thing at all.
BOXHARD in reply to jlmoweryAug 3, 2008. 8:38 PM
Ur right... two different things... I guess it hadn't occurred to you that gasses have to first go into a liquid state before they freeze. That's chemistry for ya... go figure...
drawe21 in reply to BOXHARDMar 14, 2009. 9:54 AM
No, not all do. Dry Ice skips the liquid state. See the attached link of google it.
http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/matter_states_pressure.htm
M4industries in reply to drawe21Jun 14, 2009. 10:40 AM
Actually, CO2 at 1 atm. will go into liquid phase. The catch is that is is very unstable and only stays in liquid form if pressurized.
rocketman217 in reply to M4industriesJul 19, 2009. 11:55 PM
in a fire extenguisher the c02 goes through sublimination which is liquid-solid instantly and can only stay liquid if pressurized.
flamekiller in reply to rocketman217Dec 19, 2009. 5:15 PM
I know it's been six months but I feel a comment is necessary for all the junior chemists out there.  Sublimation is the transition from solid to gas, bypassing the liquid phase.  It's what dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) does, and is most easily demonstrable by dropping a chunk in water and observing the bubbles coming off of it. 

CO2 fire extinguishers precipitate a dry ice "snow" created when the gaseous CO2 in the extinguisher dumps its heat as the pressure drops.  This snow then sublimates into the gaseous phase. 

As for where to find liquid nitrogen, first educate thyself.  It's very (very) cold and can cause severe thermal injuries if not handled properly (this means thick gloves, approved goggles, possibly facial protection, and tongs).  LN2 also expands to about 700 times its volume when it boils off, meaning placing it in a sealed container creates risk of explosion, and allowing it to boil off in a small, sealed room creates risk of suffocation.

It's not rare, toxic, or illegal.  It can be had at a gas or welding supply shop for probably around the price of milk.
Bowtie41 in reply to flamekillerMar 30, 2010. 9:20 AM
Finally,an educated reply.We purchased ours from Air Products,which sells all sorts of welding gasses.We also used it in metalforming.A place I used to work made stainless steel fittings.In order to bend them to 90 degress without splitting,we threw them in a foam cooler with a couple inches of liquid nitrogen.Then they bend like copper.Another shop I worked at we chilled titanium bars so they could be machined easy.Once they got to room temperature the tooling would quickly wear down.
szechuan53 in reply to BOXHARDJul 10, 2008. 2:48 PM
well, know i know where to get gaseous nitrogen now, but thanks anyway. hooray for air compressors!
bylerfamily in reply to szechuan53Dec 6, 2008. 4:34 PM
How do you make it liquid?
drawe21 in reply to bylerfamilyMar 14, 2009. 9:56 AM
Short answer you COOL air, google it or see below link.
http://www.pa.msu.edu/sci_theatre/ask_st/092894.html
BOXHARD in reply to bylerfamilyDec 7, 2008. 4:10 AM
I was having a brain fart on this whole topic... my apologies to all...
Bartboy in reply to szechuan53Jun 27, 2008. 12:26 PM
dont know
Fizzxwizz says: Jun 4, 2008. 4:13 PM
this isnt a rocket... Sorry
dla888 in reply to FizzxwizzOct 31, 2009. 1:27 PM
What leads you to that conclusion?
Fizzxwizz in reply to dla888Nov 21, 2009. 2:42 PM
Wow! I don't even remember posting that! After watching it though I can see it is a rocket. It doesn't even seem like me to say it like that. very unusual.
rawknexstuff says: Jun 16, 2009. 2:11 PM
LIQUID HELIUM!!!! SUPER COLD!!!!
oncex says: Dec 12, 2008. 6:26 PM
My chemistry professor did that, but she placed the bucket of water near a poor girl reading a book outside the class room. We were inside the room watching her, but even with the windows closed, we could hear a BIG BOOM and a lot of water going up. It was truly evil, but she was crazy and we had a great time. P.S. The girl's face was like: WTF, A BOMB!!!
wotot2 says: Jul 29, 2008. 11:30 PM
were you in chicago, because that looks like the place my cousin lives
GorillazMiko says: Jan 30, 2008. 8:37 PM
WOAH! Crazy video! I like the last sentence in the description. :-) Those people in the back... is that a class you teach, or something?
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