Explosions for football game
I am a chemistry teacher and I need to make a set of explosions for the football team to run through. The run on the field and the explosions go off on each side of them Any ideas. I may fill a dozen metal coated baloons with hydrogen and, and ignite them with some sort of electric spark strong enough to pepetrate the baloon. I'll put six of them on each side of the path that the team runs out through under the goal post. And how will I make the system to spark them off (electric plug in?)(capacitors, tesla coils, etc.?) thanks
Discussions
12 years ago
You might get some ideas from commercial stage fireworks. E.g. "Squirt this fine powder through an open flame to create an orange jet of fire, just like magicians have for years. projection. 1/2 ounce bottle." for one.
L
12 years ago
Hydrogen is basically invisible when it explodes. You want a dramatic, visible entrance? How about a pair of gutters running parallel to the runners' entrance? Fill the gutters about 1/4 full with ordinary bubble mixture. A few minutes before the game, use a bottle of flammable gas (eg butane) to whip the mixture up into a froth. Just as the team enter, light the end of the gutters - a bright yellow flame (should) rush along the gutter as the team run in. If that isn't enough for you, use buckets full of flammable froth, connected by short lengths of froth-filled gutters. Finish off with a barrel full of froth at the end. Mixing different metallic salts into each bucket before the gas is added can give flames different colours, maybe to match your team's strip. It would require practice to adjust the lengths of gutters and numbers of buckets, but the material requirements should be easily sorted by a chemistry teacher.
12 years ago
Great Ideas!!! In my college chemistry class we do a Redox Experiment in which we put NaOH and Aluminum in a Erlenmeyer flask producing Hydrogen Gas. Put a balloon over the top of the flask and the Vapor Pressure of the Hydrogen fills the balloon. Ignite it with a candle and you get a beautiful orange 2 foot ball of fire with only a moderate pop. But I like yaâlls ideas, too. Plus I havenât figured out the ignition system yet either. You need a BIG spark. I use a candle inside.
12 years ago
Wouldn't this normally be done with compressed air and confetti, etc.? (with a few firecrackers for the audio effect?) You'd get a 'big visual' but wouldn't have as much liability as real pyrotech stuff. Of course, you could still 'put an eye out' with a pneumatically fired streamer ;-)...
12 years ago
. I don't Hydrogen, especially in a Mylar balloon, is the way to go. Enclosed like that, it will be VERY loud (ear-damaging loud). I don't think the coach (among others) will be happy if you deafen his athletes.
Reply 12 years ago
Plus hydrogen may not be all that "visible". Patrick's idea would be safer. It might be best, if you need something sizable, to get the advice and assistance of a professional pyrotechnician just in case.
12 years ago
Use the large (2 foot +) party poppers and get cheerleaders to fire them. That way you can have explosions, confetti and streamers. Cheers, Pat. Pending