Cell Phone Destruction, Silicone Implants, CD Shatter

This episode is part of Collection 1, disc 1, episode 3. It is ALSO the third episode of Season 2.


Myths tested:
Will using a cell phone near a gas pump cause an explosion?
Will silicone breast implants explode or expand in low pressure?
Can a standard CD-ROM drive shatter a CD?

The Science behind Cell Phone Destruction
The main ideas here involve cell phone power, static electricity and gasoline combustion. The key questions:
• How much of a spark can a cell phone generate?
• How much of a spark is required to ignite gas fumes?
• Can static electricity sparks ignite gas fumes?
Students can explore creating sparks with static electricity, how cell phones are powered/insulated, and the fire triangle in the context of gasoline combustion. (See Episode 14 for a followup.)

The Science behind Blow Up Boobs
The effects of air pressure on contained fluids are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• What are the ingredients/components of breast implants?
• How does air pressure change in flight?
• How do changes in air pressure affect contained liquids?
Students can explore the behavior of silicone, contained fluids under various air pressures, and learn more about
pressurization on airplanes. (See Episode 14 for a followup.)

The Science behind CD Shatter
The speed of CD-ROM drives and the durability of CD-ROM discs are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• How fast do CD-ROM drives move? What forces are generated?
• What does it take to shatter a CD-ROM disc? What are they made of?

Students can explore how CD-ROM drives work, and what CD-ROM discs are made of. (How are CDs different from DVDs? How is computer data stored?).

Biscuit Bazooka, Vacuum Toilet, Leaping Lawyer

This episode is part of Collection 3, disc 1, episode 2. It is ALSO the second episode of Season 1.

Myths tested:
Can an airplane toilet create enough suction to cause a person to become stuck on it?
Can a can of biscuit dough explode in a hot car?
Can a person throw himself through a skyscraper window?

The Science behind Stuck on an Airplane ToiletSuction/vaccuum, seals and air pressure are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• How much suction is generated by an airplane toilet flush?
• Can a human butt seal the opening of an airplane toilet seat?
• How much suction can human flesh take without damage?
Students can explore the relationship between suction and air pressure, and the amazing tensile strength of human flesh.

The Science behind Exploding Biscuit Dough The chemistry of canned biscuits and the hardness of the human skull are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• What is the chemistry of canned self-rising biscuits?
• How much pressure is generated by a can of self-rising biscuits rupturing?
• How much heat is required to rupture a can of self-rising biscuits?
• What is required to rupture someone's skull?

Students can explore the chemistry of canned and self-rising foods, and the amazing hardness of the human skull.

The Science behind Leaping Lawyer
The hardness of skyscraper glass, the speed of the runner, and the speed of a bullet are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• What is the speed of the runner? is it sufficient to break skyscraper window glass?
• How fast does a bullet travel? is it sufficient to break skyscraper window glass?
• What is required to build a rig to test this myth?

Students can explore the different qualities of different kinds of window glass, the different speeds of different bullets shot from different guns, and terminal velocity (how fast someone would fall from a window).