# Household physics experiments I am too scared to try.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-physics-experiments-i-am-too-scared-to-try/153780>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 8, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-physics-experiments-i-am-too-scared-to-try/153780 "2003-02-08T23:12:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Texican](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@Texican](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Texican)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-physics-experiments-i-am-too-scared-to-try/153780/21 "2003-02-09T13:38:32Z")

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There is always Dave Barry’s pop tart flamethrower experiment you could try.  
[http://www.pmichaud.com/toast/](http://www.pmichaud.com/toast/)

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**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-physics-experiments-i-am-too-scared-to-try/153780/22 "2003-02-09T14:04:54Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by roadkiller \*  
> Has anyone else ever done the [grape in the microwave](http://www.pmichaud.com/grape/) trick

I don’t had any grapes in the house, so I haven’t tried that yet. But I have experimented with [creating a stable plasma](http://jnaudin.free.fr/html/oa_plasmoid.htm) in my microwave. It’s not very difficult to do and you get quite a light and sound show. Note that the plasma heats the container reapidly, so don’t carry on the experiement for too long.

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**Author:** ![martin\_ibn\_martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@martin\_ibn\_martin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martin_ibn_martin)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-physics-experiments-i-am-too-scared-to-try/153780/23 "2003-02-09T14:05:43Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by jasg \*  
> \*\*Don’t forget the marshmallow peep in the microwave.
> 
> Easter is coming. \*\*

Aaahhh…he true spirit of the season.

Actually, with Peeps for every season, we don’t have to confine the fun to Easter.

The Pumpkins are REALLY fun.

martin

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**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-physics-experiments-i-am-too-scared-to-try/153780/24 "2003-02-09T15:28:31Z")

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Here’s another one you could try, **robertliguori**. [Radioactive Boy Scout](http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s595641.htm)

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**Author:** ![andy\_fl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-physics-experiments-i-am-too-scared-to-try/153780/25 "2003-02-09T15:42:11Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by robertliguori \*  
> **-Microwave sealed Nalgia water bottles full, half-full, and empty of water.**

People have done crazier stuff with Microwave ovens. Just google - Microwave experiments.

-Bifurcate an earphone jack and plug it into a wall socket.

Done that - the earphone goes off in a flash of blue light. Blue light because copper burns blue.

-Pour water on a CRT monitor/TV.

Nothing dramatic happens from what I have heard about victims of flash floods. You have more of a chance of getting electic shocks from the water. I am sure the HV side gets immediately fused when water hits it.

-Use a fan to blow flower over an open flame, and try to create an explosion, or better yet, a flamethrower.

Using a leaf blower maybe better here. but u’ll have to tweak the system a lot.

-Put electricity through an antenna

Depends on the antenna - if its a dipole - u’ll short circuit it. Otherwise nothing will happen unless there is a leak in the wires.

-Microwave a wet/dry printer ink cartrige.

Again there are a hosts of people with nothing better to do - try a google search.

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