Fire Cracker

Approximate Elapsed Time: 2 microseconds (2 millionths of a second)

A firecracker explodes, blasting its paper casing into tiny pieces. Explosions, like this one, are caused by intense chemical reactions, which produce tremendous amounts of pressure. The reaction is started by the heat of the lit fuse. But once started, the explosive reaction generates much more energy than that provided by the fuse. By slowing the action down to 100,000 times slower than normal, we can see that the pressure produced by the reaction escapes through the top and bottom of the firecracker. However, this doesn't release the pressure fast enough. Consequently, the explosion rips through the sides of the firecracker.

How This Clip Was Made:

This slow-motion video was created using a special film camera that takes one million images a second (a normal film camera takes only 24 images a second). The film was transferred to video, digitized, and then transferred to a computer. Footage provided by: Charles Miller, MIT. Special Thanks: Charles Miller, MIT.

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