The Science of It: Learning About Liquid Nitrogen
The Science of It: Learning About Liquid Nitrogen
A LITTLE RGE -- A LITTL RAGE, YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS NEXT STORY. I RECENTLY LEARNED ABOUT LIQUID NITROGEN AND IN THE PROCESS, I GOT TO DO A LOT OF SMASHING. WELCOME BACK TO THE SCIENCE OF IT. WE ARE HERE WITH SPENCER FROM THE ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER. >> WE ARE DEALING WITH SUPERCOOLED SOLIDS. WE HAVE DONE A COUPLE OF EXPERIMENTS HERE IN THE PAST, WE HAVE FOCUSED ON MOSTLY GASES AND LIQUIDS, HOW THEY INTERACT WITH SOMETHING SUPERCOLD BUT TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO FOCUS ON SOLIDS. YOU PROBABLY LEARNED THE STATES OF MATTER AS SOLID, LIQUID, GAS. IT DEPENDS ON HOW FAST THE MOLECULES ARE MIGRATING, HOW MUCH ENERGY THEY HAVE. SOLID MOLECULES, THE LIBRARY BUT THEY ARE NOT MOVING AROUND A WHOLE LOT. AS WE COOL THEM, THEY’RE GOING TO SHRINK DOWN EVEN FURTHER IN THE PROPERTIES ARE GOING TO CHANGE. MOSTLY I SMASHING THEM WITH A HAMMER, IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO. BECAUSE LIQUID NITROGEN IS INCREDIBLY COLD, WE DO HAVE TO STEP UP OUR SAFETY GAME A LITTLE BIT. THE STRUGGLE OF A SCIENTIST IS TRYING TO BE NERDY WITH MY GLASSES AND FIT MY GOGGLES OVERTOP. SO, WE HAVE GOT LIQUID NITROGEN HERE IN OUR SUPER FANCY VACUUM SEALED THERMOS. IT IS LIKE -300 DEGREES INSIDE THIS THING, SUPERCOLD. THAT IS WHY THE LIQUID NITROGEN CAN STAY LIQUID. AS I POUR IT OUT, IT IMMEDIATELY STARTS TO BO AWAY, CREATING THAT NICE VAPOR CLOUD, PRE-MUCH FREEZING THE WATER MOLECULES OUT OF THE AIR WHICH IS A LOT OF WHAT YOU’RE SEEING. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO USE TO SUPER COURT ARE SOLIDS. WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE THAT RIGHT THERE. LET’S JUST GRAB SOME STUFF. LET’S START WITH SOME STRAWBERRIES. JAZMIN: SOME STRAWBERRIES. >> DID YOU LIKE STRAWBERRIES? JAZMIN: >> >> I DO. THEY ARE A LITTLE BIT TOO TART FOR MY LIKING, WHICH IS WHY CHOSE THEM, WE ARE GOING TO SMASH THEM. WE WILL DO ONE BEFORE WE SUPER COOL IT FOR A CONTROL GROUP, FOR A NICE COMPARISON. JAZMIN SO I JUST GET TO SMASH THIS? >> LET ME GET THAT NITROGEN OUT OF THEIR SEDO BREAK ANYTHING. AND THEN WE WILL TAKE TWO OF THESE FOR LATER. PERFECT. GO AHEAD AND JUST SNATCH THOSE STRAWBERRIES, SEE WHAT HAPPENS. JAZMIN A LOT OF RAGE HERE. HILARIOUS. >> SO WE ARE GETTING A BIT OF A SMUSH, NOT MUCH OF A SHADOW. PERFECT. LET’S SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS WHEN WE SUPERCOOLED THEM. I WANT TO LEAVE THEM IN THERE FOR A FEW SECONDS. THOSE MOLECULES INSIDE, THEY WERE VIBRATING A LITTLE BIT. NOW EVEN SLOWER, STRIPPING AWAY SOME OF THAT KINETIC ENERGY OF THE MOLECULES VIBRATING AND WE ARE GOING TO MAKE THESE HOPEFULLY MORE BRITTLE. USUALLY WHEN YOU SUPERCOOLED THINGS, THEY BECOME MORE BRITTLE. JAZMIN: IT IS LIKE YOU HAVE HAD IT IN THERE FOR MONTHS. FANTASTIC, IT IS ROCKSOLID. IT IS TOTALLY ROCKSOLID. JAZMIN: JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS. >> IT REALLY DOES NOT TAKE VERY LONG. WE HAVE GOT STRAWBERRIES, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO NEXT? JAZMIN: I’M THINKING DOUGHNUTS. >> PERFECT. IF YOU WANT TO PULL THOSE OUT OF THERE FOR ME, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. PERFECT. DO YOU EVER MICROWAVE YOUR DOUGHNUTS? JAZMIN: I DO. >> THIS IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE. GO AHEAD AND SMASH. LET’S SEE IF YOU CAN GET IT AGAIN. IT’S ALL RIGHT. IT IS GETTING STUCK TO THE DOUGHNUT IN THERE. ANY HYPOTHESES ON WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN? JAZMIN: I THINK THIS IS GOING TO SHATTER EVERYWHERE. >> THAT IS GENERALLY WHAT HAPPENS. NOT EVERYTHING ALWAYS SHATTERS, BUT MOST STUFF DOES. JUST A FEW SECONDS, LET’S SEE IF THAT IS ENOUGH. HERE WE GO. 3, 2, 1. THAT IS WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR. DO IT AGAIN. PERFECT, FANTASTIC. AWESOM THAT IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR, NICE AND BRITTLE. AND MILLION LITTLE PIECES, LOOKING GOOD. JAZMIN: MY OWN PERSONAL RAGE ROOM. >> I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A RAGE ROOM, BUT I DO GET TO WORK HERE. THESE RIGH HERE ARE SOME OF THE PLASTIC BALLS THAT WE HAVE HER IN THE SCIENCE CENTER. WE ARE ONLY GOING TO SNATCH ONE OF THEM, BUT SOMETHING COOL HAPPENS WHEN WE DO SMASH THEM. WHEN WE FREEZE IT IN LIQUID NITROGEN, WHAT HAPPENS IS WE ACTUALLY GET A VACUUM INSIDE, YOU VACUUM SEAL IT BECAUSE WE ARE FREEZING THE GAS MOLECULES, SO THEY TURN INTO A LIQUID. THERE IS LESS PRESSURE INSIDE. YOU ACTUALLY GET A REALLY LOUD CRACK WHEN YOU POP IT OPEN. LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS. 3, 2, 1. DID YOU HEAR THAT POP? IT SOUNDED LIKE A LIGHTBULB. NORMALLY WHEN YOU SMASH IT, THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS. THE AIR RUSHES BACK IN, KIND OF LIKE THUNDER. WE HAVE ONE MORE. I’M HOPING FOR A GOOD SMASH. I LOVE BROCCOLI, I FEEL REALLY BAD BREAKING BROCCOLI. I AM GOING TO GO AHEAD AND POP THIS RIGHT INTO OUR LIQUID NITROGEN AS WE ARE PREPARING IT. WE CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SMASH IT. I HAVE A FEELING IT MIGHT STILL BREAK APART A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE WILL SEE. JAZMIN: A LOT OF VAPOR. >> GO AHEAD AND SMASH, SMASH. IT IS JUST KIND OF BREAKING APART A LITTLE BIT, NOT TOO MUCH CARNAGE. I HAVE NEVER SMASHED BROCCOLI, SO I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. IT COULD BREAK INTO NINE PIECES OR 2 TRILLION PIECES, I’M NOT REALLY SURE. IT IS GETTING PRETTY HARD IN THERE. LET’S DO IT, TAKE IT OUT. LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS. 3, 2, 1. WOAH! LOOK AT THAT. DO IT AGAIN, JUST KEEP ON SMASHING IT. FANTASTIC. AS YOU C SEE, IT IS JUST TOTALLY GLASS. IT BREAKS INTO LITTLE PIECES. THAT IS PRETTY MUCH ALL I’VE GOT FOR YOU. JAZMIN: I’M IMPRESSED. I GOT SOMETHING NEW FOR SURE, AND I LIKE THAT A LOT. JAZMIN THANK YOU, THIS IS FUN. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THE SCIENCE OF IT. THE BROCCOLI AND THE TOY BALL DEFINITELY THE BEST. IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT OTHER COOL STUFF IS HAPPENING
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The Science of It: Learning About Liquid Nitrogen
WESH 2 News has partnered with the Orlando Science Center to bring you The Science of It.Today, we're learning about liquid nitrogen.Fruits and vegetables will also be used during this experiment.The liquid nitrogen causes the foods to become hard and glass-like. When that happens, it's time to smash them!Find out exactly what to do in today's video.For more information from the Orlando Science Center, click here.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
WESH 2 News has partnered with the Orlando Science Center to bring you The Science of It.
Today, we're learning about liquid nitrogen.
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Fruits and vegetables will also be used during this experiment.
The liquid nitrogen causes the foods to become hard and glass-like. When that happens, it's time to smash them!
Find out exactly what to do in today's video.
For more information from the Orlando Science Center, click here.