What is Explosion: Definition and 274 Discussions

An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extremely vigorous outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known as detonations and travel via shock waves. Subsonic explosions are created by low explosives through a slower combustion process known as deflagration.

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  1. B

    Calculating force of explosion over distance in water

    I am conducting research for my Master Thesis. I am a historian focusing on a historic battle between a Navy airship and a German U-boat that occurred just south of Key West on July 19, 1943. The airship was shot down. There is controversy about whether the 4 depth bombs were actually dropped...
  2. E

    Potential difference across water and oil causing explosion, how?

    Question: "An oil tanker has just entered port and is being cleaned using a high-pressure hose. The washing of the hull and deck continues until there is a large explosion. The fire marshal investigates and pronounces that the explosion was the result of cleaning the ship with water. Explain...
  3. T

    Compressing Mixture for More Powerful Explosion?

    I have been told that compressing the mixture would make the explosion "more powerful". However I cannot wrap my head around why it would be more powerful. Is it because by compressing the mixture potential energy is formed and thus igniting the mixture would release the potential energy from...
  4. Low-Q

    When matter and anti-matter = explosion or not

    I have been told, and it has been written that matter and anti-matter destroys each other if they happen to bump into each other. The destruction is told to generate an energy burst beyond imaginary scales. What I have a doubt about is this: If energy that is dense enough can produce elementary...
  5. S

    Solving the Bomb Explosion Problem

    1. The Problem: A bomb at rest explodes, breaking into three pieces. Two of the pieces hace equal mass and fly off at 80° of each other with a speed of 100m/s. The tird piece has three times the mass of the other pieces. What is the magnitude and the direction of the third piece? 2...
  6. V

    Solve 1D Explosion Problem: Find Mass, Speed, Force & Momentum

    Homework Statement An object with total mass mtotal = 8.6 kg is sitting at rest when it explodes into two pieces. The two pieces, after the explosion, have masses of m and 3m. During the explosion, the pieces are given a total energy of E = 48.0 J. 1) What is the speed of the smaller piece...
  7. A

    Gasoline Engine Combustion: Shock-Wave or Expansion?

    Hi all, I was wondering if someone could please clarify the following for me. I read that in a gasoline engine there is no shock-wave in the detonation of gasoline. If there is no shock-wave, then how is the piston pushed down? Thanks in advance for the help Alex
  8. W

    Exploding Bombs: Understanding the Deadly Impact and Distance Effects

    Why when got bomb explosion even stand a few ways away,it exploded and the impact can kill a person?
  9. S

    How Loud Is a Firework Explosion at 4300 Meters Distance?

    Homework Statement A firework charge is detonated many metres above the ground. At a distance d1=550 m from the explosion, the acoustic pressure reaches a maximum of ΔPmax = 10 Pa. Assume the speed is constant at 343 m/s throughout the atmosphere over the region considered and the ground...
  10. O

    Explosion of firecracker on pond

    Homework Statement A firecracker (mtot = 0.70 kg), sitting on a frozen pond, explodes into three pieces, each of which moves horizontally. Piece 1 (m1 = 0.20 kg; v1 = 100 m/s) moves at a right angle to piece 2 (m2 = 0.20 kg; v2 = 125 m/s). What is the speed of the third piece? Homework...
  11. S

    Energy of antimatter explosion

    Maximum is obviously 42 MT/kg. But how much of the energy is lost as neutrinos from pion and muon decay? Typical nucleon annihilation produces an average of 4,5 pions. Since the energy is 1880 MeV, each pion gets an average of 420 MeV, of which 140 MeV is rest mass. 1/3 of these are...
  12. R

    Explosion of a moving mass into two parts.

    I figure this problem will not be easily solvable which is why I'll ask. Basically a moving mass M with a velocity along the x direction of .5c explodes into two fragments. Fragment A moves to the -x and fragment B moves to the +x. The sum of the mass is 1/4A + 3/4B = M. What are the final...
  13. marcus

    Explosion picture: most common mistake

    The single most common obstacle to understanding cosmology is probably the picture of expansion as an explosion outwards into empty space from some central point. It's a mistaken picture instilled in the public mind by popular media channels and reinforced by time-honored slang: the misleading...
  14. A

    What happens when a steel wheel explodes due to centrifugal force?

    What are the consequences of the explosion of a steel wheel by the action of centrifugal force and spinning at high speed? Am I creating the energy of this explosion?
  15. B

    Can black holes be disintegrated from a sufficiently powerful explosion?

    Can black holes be disintegrated by a sufficiently powerful explosion? If an explosion from various types of astrophysical phenomena occurs near a black hole, can the explosion disintegrate the black hole if the force of the explosion is greater than the gravitational force of the black hole?
  16. A

    Nuclear Explosion Space Bright or Dim Flash

    Hi all, I think there is a post on this somewhere that is accessible via google but somehow too hard to find on this site. Anyway, if a nuclear explosion went off in deep space, I think the following would happen: There would be a large burst of energy. All photons from Gamma to Radio...
  17. E

    Explosion with two Ice Skaters

    Homework Statement Two ice skaters stand at rest in the center of an ice rink. When they push off one another, the 60 kg skater acquires a speed of .61 m/s. If the speed of the other skater is .8m/s what is this skater's mass? Homework Equations explosion- pi=pf The Attempt at a...
  18. V

    Kinetic Energy in an Explosion

    Homework Statement An explosive of mass M is initially at rest. It then explodes into two pieces and travels along a straight line. The small piece has mass M1, speed V1, and kinetic energy K1=(1/2)M1V12. The kinetic energy of the bigger mass would be in terms of K1 would be: Homework...
  19. O

    What happens when an explosion begins

    There is a saying that two kind of waves are generated when an explosion happens. one moves slow which can carry the object away .when someone fires with a pistol, the bullet is pushed by this kind of wave . the other is different , it move fast ,maybe at 8000m/s. I wondered how this is...
  20. A

    Calculating Total Momentum of Trolleys After Explosion

    Homework Statement In an explosion the two identical trolleys, each of mass m, were initially at rest. Find the total momentum of the trolleys after the explosion. Homework Equations Conservation of momentum. The Attempt at a Solution Well, I assumed both trolleys to be...
  21. Q

    What does it mean by : 'Fire and explosion protection on offshore platforms'

    just a project i have to start working on soon wanted to know if i can get any useful information about it please thanks
  22. S

    Finding Momentum of a fragment after explosion

    Homework Statement A small explosive device slicing to the right breaks into two pieces. The momentum of fragment 1 after the explosion is 23kg.m/s 28°RCS What is the momentum of fragment 2 after the explosion? Homework Equations PT=PT' P=mv Rx= Rcos∅ Ry= Rsin∅ R= √x2+y2 The...
  23. V

    Supernova explosion near a black hole

    It might be stupid to think this way but it came to my mind and I wasn't able to find anything related to this on internet so please help me understanding this thing... Say if we have a massive star and a black hole nearby and the massive star completes its life cycle, it will end up with a...
  24. phosgene

    Momentum and kinetic energy of pieces resulting from an explosion

    Homework Statement A body at rest contains an explosive device which when ignited fractures the body in two pieces, one of which is two times as massive as the other. i) Why must the pieces travel in opposite directions? ii) How much more momentum does the larger object have, than the...
  25. B

    Explosion at Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility

    On 28th November there were reports of a large explosion in the Iranian city of Isfahan, home to the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility. link - via Haaretz - The BBC claim that Iran is building a plant at the nuclear research facility to convert yellowcake into three forms...
  26. S

    Explosion of a Mass Homework Help

    1. Homework Statement An object with total mass mtotal = 16.6 kg is sitting at rest when it explodes into three pieces. One piece with mass m1 = 5 kg moves up and to the left at an angle of θ1 = 25° above the –x axis with a speed of v1 = 27 m/s. A second piece with mass m2 = 5.4 kg moves down...
  27. M

    Calculating Velocity & Kinetic Energy After Explosion

    An object with total mass mtotal = 14.4 kg is sitting at rest when it explodes into three pieces. One piece with mass m1 = 4.9 kg moves up and to the left at an angle of θ1 = 22° above the –x axis with a speed of v1 = 26.8 m/s. A second piece with mass m2 = 5.1 kg moves down and to the right an...
  28. A

    The x-component of the velocity of the third piece = -16.87 m/s

    Explosion of ball! Homework Statement An object with total mass mtotal = 16.6 kg is sitting at rest when it explodes into three pieces. One piece with mass m1 = 4.9 kg moves up and to the left at an angle of θ1 = 18° above the –x axis with a speed of v1 = 25.5 m/s. A second piece with mass...
  29. Y

    Universe's full cycle: explosion - implosion

    While Universe now continue to expand due to the last BB, there is growing vacuum in the midst of it which with time will reach such tremendous value that the expansion will be stopped and the reverse process will start ?
  30. B

    Explosion at nuclear plant Marcoule

    Explosion in a nuclear plant in France, no details yet. Hope it is nothing bad...
  31. E

    Finding the Velocity of the Third Piece after an Explosion

    Homework Statement Hello, this is my first time posting. I'd appreciate any help. An object with total mass mtotal = 15.6 kg is sitting at rest when it explodes into three pieces. One piece with mass m1 = 5 kg moves up and to the left at an angle of θ1 = 21° above the –x axis with a speed of...
  32. E

    Nuclear Explosion Analysis

    Homework Statement In a nuclear explosion there is a very quick release of energy in a small region of space. This produces a spherical shock wave, with the pressure inside the shock wave being thousands of times greater than the initial air pressure. From wave theory it is found that the...
  33. S

    Supernova explosion reaching us

    Here's a question I thought about while watching one of those simplified 'the universe' documentaries on discovery channel. If a supernova in our region of the galaxy exploded and the gamma rays from the poles of the neutron star or black hole reached us, it was mentioned it would happen too...
  34. M

    Elastic conservation, explosion.

    Homework Statement .5kg bomb sliding west frictionless pond at 2 m/s. after explosion .2kg piece moves south at 4.m/s what are the components of the .3 kg piece.Homework Equations I attempted to use mv1cos+mv2cos=2mvf mv1sin -mv2 sin=2mvf The Attempt at a...
  35. H

    [QUESTION]Dark energy could it be an explosion?

    I don't really know about theories on dark energy, but could "it" be an explosion and the shockwave causing the increase in the rate the universe is expanding at? Or have there already been studies on it? Thanks, Harry. :)
  36. H

    Sp. Relativity: supernova explosion

    Homework Statement Star D goes supernova at x=0 and t=0. One year later and 2 ly away (measured by astronomers in the galaxy), star E explodes. The explosions are observed by 3 spaceships going from D to E at respective velocities: v1=0.3c v2=0.5c v3=0.7c What are the times of the two...
  37. P

    Why Does Compressing Hydrogen Increase Explosion Risks?

    It is repeatedly mentioned that "compressing hydrogen carries a significant risk of explosion"?. But why does compression of hydrogen carry explosion risk? Is it true for all gases?
  38. S

    Calculating Gas Disturbance from a Supernova Explosion

    hi guys many thanks in advance for any help, I am revising for an exam and got stuck on this question: "A supernova of energy 10^44 J explodes in interstellar matter of density n0 = 10^6 m^−3 and pressure Pi = 3*10^−14 N m^−2. Estimate how much gas (mass) can be disturbed by this supernova...
  39. MathematicalPhysicist

    The Origin of the Universe: Big Bang, Explosion, or Something Else?

    So from what I understnad the model, once the universe was hotter and densier, but I heard also the saying that at the instance of it occurring that spacetime started as well, so it's not really a big bang, as in an explosion; and they also describe it as not having a centre to it (obviously if...
  40. B

    Nuclear Bomb Explosions: Speed & Energy Release

    hey guys just a simple question, I think. How fast does the nuclear fusion/fission reactions n explosion occur? Is it at the speed of light? Will there be any energy release b4 the explosion, Or should only b after the explosion? I always thought the fission/fusion reaction cause it to...
  41. J

    Big bang ordinary explosion, evidence for expansion of space?

    The standard (popular) explanation about big bang goes like this: "We observe red shift in distant galaxies in all directions. One might think that this means that we are in the center of the universe, where some explosion occured, but there exists a more likely explanation: The universe is an...
  42. K

    Supernova Explosion: 720 Light-Years Away from Earth

    Homework Statement A space craft, traveling at 0.77c, is just passing the Earth when the light from a Supernova which is traveling in exactly the opposite direction to the ship, reaches it. According to an observer on the Earth the star which caused the explosion was 720 light years away (1...
  43. F

    Three Body 2D Explosion with Friction Problem

    Homework Statement There are three smooth stones in contact with each other at rest on an ice field (coefficient of sliding friction=0.0250). Their masses are: A = 0.800kg, B = 0.600kg and C = 0.250kg. An explosion causes them to fly apart. 'A' moves Due North with a Velocity = 2.40 ms-1...
  44. H

    Energy released in a gunshot explosion

    Hey, I have a quick question about the energy released when a gun is fired. When a gun is fired, energy is released in the explosion and is transferred to the gun, bullet and is also used to heat up the surroundings. My question is: how/why is energy released in the explosion? What is the...
  45. D

    Why Does Shaking a Soda Can Cause an Explosion?

    Why does a can of soda "explode" when it's shaken? I looked online, but all the explanations were either very hand-wavy, or looked very wrong. Thanks!
  46. P

    How is kinetic energy and momentum conserved in an internal explosion?

    Homework Statement an internal explosion breaks an object, initially at rest, into two pieces, one of which has 1.5 times the mass of the other. If 7500 J were released in the explosion, how much kinetic energy did each piece acquire. Homework Equations K1+K2=7500J...
  47. P

    Internal explosion, kinetic energy prob

    Homework Statement an internal explosion breaks an object, initially at rest, into two pieces, one of which has 1.5 times the mass of the other. If 7500 J were released in the explosion, how much kinetic energy did each piece acquire. Homework Equations mgyi+1/2mvi2=mgyf+1/2mvf2 The...
  48. Q

    What is it exactly about an explosion that pushes the piston in an engine?

    What are all the given aspects of this? I understand how the reaction happens, but what about it pushes the piston.
  49. H

    Momentum: explosion of a block

    Homework Statement A block of mass 8.45 kg in outerspace is moving at 2.47 m/s with no external forces acting on it. After an explosion, the block is split into two parts both having mass equal to half the mass of the original block. The explosion supplies the two masses with an additional...
  50. W

    Sudden impulse due to explosion

    I'm doing a project for my job, and am currently stuck with a situation that I'm unsure of how to proceed. Note: not homework. The situation is that I have an object of approximately 100kg, which was thrown a horizontal distance of 16m from it's original position by an explosion. We've...
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