Exploding C4 Sphere: Understanding the Dynamics of an Explosive Event

[Chaos' lil bro Order]

Consider a sphere of C4 explosives compound, the size of your fist. The C4 has a fuse with its end sticking into the sphere's exact center. So we assume that the initial point of explosion will be the exact center of the C4 sphere. We also assume that the C4 sphere is of a uniform density. When the sphere explodes, how does it happen? I mean, if the sphere had 3 layers that we could imagine, the core (innermost), mantle (middle), and crust (outer), how would these layers explode outwards? Some questions that arise are does the core explode through the other layers and push through them, or does the core impart momentum to the mantle, then the mantle to the crust and the crust into the surrounding air medium?

What do you think?

 

[lightarrow]

Consider a sphere of C4 explosives compound, the size of your fist. The C4 has a fuse with its end sticking into the sphere's exact center. So we assume that the initial point of explosion will be the exact center of the C4 sphere. We also assume that the C4 sphere is of a uniform density. When the sphere explodes, how does it happen? I mean, if the sphere had 3 layers that we could imagine, the core (innermost), mantle (middle), and crust (outer), how would these layers explode outwards? Some questions that arise are does the core explode through the other layers and push through them, or does the core impart momentum to the mantle, then the mantle to the crust and the crust into the surrounding air medium?

What do you think?

Your problem is substantially equivalent to this: you have three iron balls of the same mass and dimensions, A, B and C, bound with 2 massless springs from A and B and from B and C, the system is constrained on a straight line.

If you push ahead the ball A, what happens to B and C? How do they move? Clearly, the movement of A makes a force on B through the first spring, so B starts moving so making a force on C through the second spring...you can go on with as many balls and springs you like. The balls are the atoms, the springs are interatomic forces.