# The best physics class ever? Yep, I think so. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 25, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826 "2012-09-25T21:55:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/1 "2012-09-25T21:55:00Z")
Dang I wish my physics teacher was this cool. Liquid Nitrogen poured in a soda bottle, bucket of warm water, and ping pong balls. What do you think will happen? šŸ˜ƒ Click the link and watch the video. > **[The best physics class ever? Plymouth Uni professor shows what happens when...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2208477/The-best-physics-class-Plymouth-Uni-professor-shows-happens-mix-liquid-nitrogen-ping-pong-balls.html)** > > Dr Roy Lowry, from Plymouth University, made sure his students would always remember the physical properties of liquid nitrogen - by using it to blow 1,500 ping pongs around the university hall. Wow!!! ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/2 "2012-09-25T23:06:28Z")
Feel the science! That was pretty cool. That dustbin must have gone four feet in the air. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/3 "2012-09-25T23:19:26Z")
I wish we could get approval for gas bombs like that in our class. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/4 "2012-09-25T23:36:35Z")
A Dry Ice bomb is similar. Mythbusters has made several. Same idea. Dry Ice in water creates Co2. Gas builds up in the capped bottle. Big boom. I like the physic teachers better. Heā€™s demonstrating a liquid (nitrogen) converting to a gas. The bucket of warm water speeds up the process. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/5 "2012-09-25T23:55:11Z")
My college physics teacher was also cool. His best trick was always the last day. He inhaled helium and proceeded to talk to the class, illustrating a principle we just talked about. If you could picture John Housman acting as professor Kingsfield in the Paper Chaseā€”that was prof. Taylor. Brought down the house. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/6 "2012-09-26T00:09:44Z")
The videoā€™s already gone, replaced by a message about a claim of copyright infringement by Plymouth. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/7 "2012-09-26T00:41:02Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > The videoā€™s already gone, replaced by a message about a claim of copyright infringement by Plymouth. They have no business doing that if it was a video a student took with his own camera (mentioned in the article, I suppose they are now confiscating all of their cameras)ā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/8 "2012-09-26T02:06:08Z")
Donā€™t worry, [there are others](http://www.wimp.com/scientistnitrogen/). ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/9 "2012-09-26T11:22:28Z")
I knew what this was going to be about by the title! I saw a similar thing years ago on some kidā€™s TV science show. There was a guy dressed as a giant rat, anybody remember what it was called? They used a bin full of water and no ping pong balls. The bin stayed on the floor but it seemed like every bit of water shot straight into the air. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/10 "2012-09-26T12:56:18Z")
Captain Kangaroo would be so proudā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/11 "2012-09-26T14:06:07Z")
Professor [Walter Lewin](http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=AaALPa7Dwdw&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DAaALPa7Dwdw) takes the cake. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/12 "2012-09-26T14:12:56Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > I knew what this was going to be about by the title! I saw a similar thing years ago on some kidā€™s TV science show. There was a guy dressed as a giant rat, anybody remember what it was called? They used a bin full of water and no ping pong balls. The bin stayed on the floor but it seemed like every bit of water shot straight into the air. You say guy in a rat suit\*, I say Beakmanā€™s World. \*And itā€™s worth pointing out that within the context of the show, he (Lester) wasnā€™t actually supposed to be a giant ratā€¦he was always just a guy in a rat suit, with no explanation given as to why. A nice little absurdity inserted into a childrenā€™s science show. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/13 "2012-09-26T17:28:43Z")
> [@Michael63129](#): > > They have no business doing that if it was a video a student took with his own camera (mentioned in the article, I suppose they are now confiscating all of their cameras)ā€¦ Iā€™m not sure it was student video. It had multiple angles and the cameras were obviously set up on tripods. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/14 "2012-09-26T18:09:38Z")
Liquid nitrogen always makes physics class cooler. šŸ˜ƒ I take issue with calling this one the best ever, though. I think that honor remains with Professor S, who was my undergrad physics prof. He had lots of quick, effective tricks for getting concepts across, but his best stunt ever was particularly theatrical. He walked into the lecture hall a bit late one day, wearing heavy gloves and carrying a frost-covered bucket that trailed fog everywhere. He set the bucket on the table at the front of the class and looked around to make sure he had everyoneā€™s attentionā€“which, of course, he did. Without a word, he began opening drawers in the table and pulling out various objects, starting with the classic rose, and doing the dunk-and-shatter routine with each one. After he finished shattering several objects, he took off a glove, removed his ring, and toweled his hand dry. Satisfied with his preparations, he dunked his hand in the liquid nitrogen, yanked it out, and slammed it on the table. A number of people hid their eyes, and a couple even screamed (or yelped, at least). He just grinned and pointed at several of the people up front who had flinched and said, ā€œYou didnā€™t do the assigned reading.ā€ Then he lectured us on the Leidenfrost effect. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/15 "2012-09-26T18:46:08Z")
We used a 2 liter bottle and made a liquid nitrogen bomb once at a lab where I worked. We flipped a metal wastebasket over it and stood back Five minutes later were were debating if it was going to go off or not when it finally did. The metal wastebasket was ripped apart and the pieces went hire then the two story building we were standing next to. Moral of story: be careful when doing this. Its a pretty powerful explosion and its hard to time how long it will take for the pressure to build. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/16 "2012-09-26T18:59:38Z")
Iā€™m all for blowing things up, but frankly I question the educational value of this demonstration at the university level. Did anyone in the room _not_ know what was going to happen? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/17 "2012-09-27T06:53:43Z")
**Balance** , a variant on that one involves sleight of hand, a glove and a hot dog sausage inserted in one fingerā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/18 "2012-09-27T07:35:53Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Iā€™m all for blowing things up, but frankly I question the educational value of this demonstration at the university level. Did anyone in the room _not_ know what was going to happen? Iā€™m guessing it was done for an Open Day or Awareness event (so, a group of A-Level or younger school students thinking of studying physics at Plymouth). Still filmed, but not as part of a lecture course. Si ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/19 "2012-09-27T19:27:25Z")
Richard Feynman and the bowling ball (with two associated stories): [http://www.langston.com/Fun\_People/1994/1994ABX.html](http://www.langston.com/Fun_People/1994/1994ABX.html) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826/20 "2012-10-04T22:05:31Z")
Thatā€™s some hot water right there: > [@](#): > > Lowry appeared to be using about a third of a litre of liquid nitrogen, which will boil once it hits 196C. Kinda surprised Iā€™m the first to notice. Oh, and the video was removed by the user, not for copyright infringement. Iā€™ve seen this happen a lot, actuallyā€“not every YouTube poster wants the views. I also believe that some people would take it down on principle for it being shown in the _Mail_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-physics-class-ever-yep-i-think-so/635826.md?page=2)