Ice Bomb
Description: Water is frozen inside a sealed cast-iron container by immersion in a dry ice/acetone or liquid nitrogen bath. The container splits and occasionally breaks in two. Due to product availability, this demo is on video only.
This demonstration is also available on video and JCE software: “Chemistry Comes Alive!” Vol. 1 CD-Rom
Source: Shakhashiri, B.Z. Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teaches of Chemistry
Year: 1989 Vol: 3 Page: 310
Keywords: Acetone, Dry ice, Liquid nitrogen, Cast-iron container, Freeze, Intermolecular Forces
Rating: 
Hazard: Medium
- Cryogenic burn hazard
- Explosion hazard
- Asphyxiation hazard
- Flammability hazard
- Acute toxicity hazard
- Serious eye damage hazard
- Specific organ toxicity – central nervous system
Effectiveness: Excellent
- Deeply engaging results
- Profound connection to course material
- Spectacular or counterintuitive effects are seen
- Time to results is medium
- Moderate reliability
Difficulty: Medium
- Some careful manipulations required
- Reaction or demo at non-standard conditions
- Procedures with some intermediate steps
- Some difficult manipulations
Safety Precautions:
- Cryogenic gloves required
- Perform in a well-ventilated area
- Lab coat recommended
- Use thermally resistant surface
- Eye protection required
- Avoid open flames
Class: Intermolecular Forces, Groups IA, IIA, and IIIB (1,2, and 13), Equilibrium of Chemical Systems
Division: General, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry
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