Steve is extremely qualified as an explosives engineer, but thankfully after what he says here, not as a firefighter.

This mad lad has figured out how to time travel with a home computer

So umm would cutting the cheese be a high explosive or a low one asking for a friend

I can’t believe I missed this comment for four whole weeks

@Guess Undheit or how about somebody with noise sensitivity should either not watch a video about explosions, or have the noise down very low already.

Ey

Steve is Outriders answer to Tiny Tina, can't wait for the DLC.

We get it High Explosive. You vape.

That is really interesting! I truly never thought of if low explosives was a thing! The gopro getting doing a backflip was a good touch!

How big would the explosion be with the full brick of Semtex?

Great video, I work with explosives and this video really got it right. Even better the science behind explosions is not that easy, but this video somehow manage to make it clear and on the spot within 5 minutes. I’m impressed, good job!

1:39 Tom: "The gas that it releases expands and builds up pressure and then.." My headphones: "Battery low"

i miss when the outro was "and thats something you might not have known"

Why I feel like the video have been sped up?

I knew about the distinction in explosive detonation types as explained here but the notion of 'low explosives' as a term never occurred to me before

So in a really dumbed down summary; High explosives have a high tolerance to what causes them to explode, while Low explosives have a low tolerance to what causes them to explode.

Bit like hardwoods and softwoods then

I just had that experience with finally realize the meaning of a word today. I realized that deodorant is called that because it removes odors.

The catastrophic explosion in Lebanon was caused by the detonation of a huge amount of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) which is a typical high explosive - if you try to ignite it probably won't even burn without fuel, but if you detonate it via a shockwave (some people use a high caliber gunshot to create a shockwave, but a detonator is used too) it creates an incredibly strong explosion, very destructive (brisant)

imagine 50 kilos going off in your car... "oops" Just curious: How easy would it be to make high-explosive? (Please don't disappear me, FBI-chan)

Okay, smart guy. Is there a "mid-explosive", to complete the trio?

Well, today I learned something again. High explosives really show that in order to create a runaway reaction, you need high pressure, either by containing it, or by its own shockwave. Thank you, Tom!

1:47 I swear the camera is focusing on the smoke rising up... I think I have seen this before...

I'm watching this thinking is this legal

A smoke ring that Bilbo would be proud of

Thanks! Very informative :)

Poor camera

Similar to the nightstick and the daystick.

Special credits go to Camera, who endured several explosions in the making of this video.

This is actually a fantastic ad for GoPro cameras.

mean 'deflagration' since that is a 'low explosive'..."

0:38 I was thinking the same thing, I asked myself “what is a high explosive?” And then I saw this video.

"The last time I was making a video at this explosives test facility-" * Points at someones backyard *

forbidden playdoo

What’s the best place to buy a ton or two of the high stuff?

Tom Scott, you are the best. Sunsayd

Neat.

"The last time I was making a video at this explosives test facility-" * Points at someones backyard *

I actually found this out as a kid by watching Tremors 2.

Oi mate why dat bomb guy look like a goblin?

If you feel like making any any more explosives videos please stick with Steve, he's really good at explaining.

The bang at 1:45 sounds like it would make for great realistic gun shot SFX.

3:57 the way the camera goes flying lmao

That camera did a barrel roll right at the end of the video 4:05

You should make a video about right to repair and Louis Rossmann's campaign to get it passed in Massachusetts and hopefully hopefully other places that follow.

"The last time I was making a video at this explosives test facility-" * Points at someones backyard *

So what was the damage to the GoPro?

forbidden play dough

Meanwhile, the GoPro says in a little squeaky voice "I'm not dead yet".

Tom Scott: Spoiling my fun at pointing out to people unknowingly talking about [low] explosives "detonating"... "Well actually..." (You'll have to imagine the nasally voice) "... You mean 'deflagration' since that is a 'low explosive'..."

GoPro should pay you for the free advertising you just gave them, that is one durable camera!

Special credits go to Camera, who endured several explosions in the making of this video.

GoPro should pay you for the free advertising you just gave them, that is one durable camera!

Not all explosives are fuel oxidiser reactions though he's describing binary explosives (generally a metal oxidiser reaction) although alot of them these days are actually to do with bond strain, high heat of formation etc in a single chemical (RDX, any of the azides, NTI classic examples) it's not just a really mixed low explosive. It's also catagorized by detonation velocity. The channel explosions and fire explains this really well

"The last time I was making a video at this explosives test facility-" * Points at someones backyard *

forbidden playdoo

So is no one going to mention that vortex ring? That was amazing.

Neat.

HE'S NOT WEARING A RED SHIRT

the most fascinating subjects, particularly the chemistry and physics of explosives and propellants.

Funny isn't it, how the direction of your content is no longer yours in any fashion, neither directionally or content-wise. The slow degradation of unique and original creative content comes simultaneously with an false sense of urgency to appease algorithms and keep the cash flowing. Bend over, your soul is being shared by the world.

If you feel like making any any more explosives videos please stick with Steve, he's really good at explaining.

Thanks Tom, now we're ALL on a government watchlist.

"The last time I was making a video at this explosives test facility-" * Points at someones backyard *

That camera did a barrel roll right at the end of the video 4:05

0:06 I had that with Brexit. I had a rough understanding of what it was, but it took an embarrassingly long time to realize it was "Britain's exit"

I guess Beirut explosion = low explosive then.

Hahah i Barely understand that

Why does that guy speak in x1.25 speed

"The last time I was making a video at this explosives test facility-" * Points at someones backyard *

GoPro should pay you for the free advertising you just gave them, that is one durable camera!

The forbidden raspberry bubblegum

Lebanon 🇱🇧

This channel is just great.

Love things that burn and go boom!

You know your channel has made it when you can treat go-pro's like disposable cameras.

Tom, thanks for making this video! I'd love to see plenty more videos about this subject and plenty more of Steve's excellent presentations. Chemistry and physics are some of the most fascinating subjects, particularly the chemistry and physics of explosives and propellants.

I didn't know play-doh was explosive

0:11 that reminded me to google the etymology of "parapet," a word i look at every time i leave the library, intend to look up, and then forget to by the time i get home. thank you.

Another fantastic tidbit thanks

I realized something like that yesterday when I realized that vacuum and continuum both have 2 Us in a row.

This explains why the high explosives in the SS Richard Montgomery are safe, unless the cluster bombs go off.

I guess Beirut explosion = low explosive then.

Tom scott i love your videos so much .. please never stop :')

me listening to rain sounds 10hrs to relax: 😌 autoplay: 1:45

The real question is : is the GoPro really dead ?

So what is technically called Low Explosives is what is more commonly just called explosives, like fireworks. It's interesting to think that carrying 50 kilos of C4 plastic explosive is more safe than 50 kilos of fireworks considering one is used by military and law enforcement and another is used by those as young as elementary school age (with proper supervision of course).

Lebanon 🇱🇧

Tom scott is the guy that answers all the random questions you asked to your dad back in the day

Would be cool if there was a way to incorporate these into your mouth so you could actually shout like in Skyrim :D

That Semtex looks like tasty watermelon chewing gum.

But what about medium explosives?

This is your 600th video!

Did u get shadow banned or something?

i think the video might have been private or taken down by YT

So fireworks are low explosives?

Tbh. I just want to see things go boom

😊😲

1:59 *_Forbidden Bubblegum_*

i mean he's not unright, but i don't like it. i get that it's for the internets but still... oh and anybody claiming 1.1 is safe in a fire is a bloody muppet

Fun fact, most things can be "fuel" for energy expenditure purposes, and foodstuffs tend to have more chemical energy than explosives, they just also usually aren't oxidized. If you make a big cloud of them, a single spark can make a BIG boom

Well, the government is now watching us.

Now we just need a tutorial on manufacturing

3:27 „Stephen focus!“

Why does the semtex look so... Tasty?

Tom Scott's channel is a more interesting Discovery channel

Low explosives is a thermal reaction high explosives is a chemical reaction. Every Irish schoolboy learned this in his science class, even the quantity allowed for transport. Oh yea, the schoolgirls were included!😂

Are you under the impression that low explosives are not chemical reactions?

Nicely done. Now I am getting into finer points. Not all high explosives are molecular explosive, like TNT or PETN, with the fuel and oxidizer all in one molecule. Some are mixtures such as ANFO (ammonium nitrate-fuel oil) - no chemistry happens when these are mixed. Similarly smokeless powder, usually considered a low explosive, is primarily composed of nitrocellulose which does have a fuel and oxidizer in one molecule. The defining difference is the speed of the reaction. High explosives detonate at a supersonic speed while low explosive deflagrates at a subsonic speed.

Content

Its funny how the intro also perfectly applies to tom mispronouncing 'explosive'

So, high explosives are similar to how nukes are made, where you need a primary explosion to set off the main reaction

I play Airsoft at that place. It's called ace combat

The lowexplosive is fireworks,high explosive is c4

Ok

You should do a video on 'Operation Vegetarian'

...left the GoPro right next to the detonation, but the camera survives, just flies away, remains operative. Maybe the BEST advert for that camera you could think of...

1:58 - Forbidden cheese.

any collaborations with smartereveryday, mark rober, veritasium ect. in the future?