Are Cookies More Explosive Than Dynamite Based on Calories?

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SUMMARY

This discussion evaluates the caloric content of chocolate chip cookies compared to TNT and other explosive materials. It establishes that while TNT has a caloric value of 0.651 calories per gram, the explosive potential is not solely determined by caloric content but by the speed at which energy is released. The conversation highlights the distinction between energy and power, emphasizing that the rapid delivery of energy is crucial in explosive contexts. Additionally, it notes that food calories are more relatable for the general public, despite the scientific preference for kilocalories.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of caloric measurement (calories vs. kilocalories)
  • Basic principles of energy and power in physics
  • Familiarity with explosive materials and their properties
  • Knowledge of food science regarding digestion and caloric absorption
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  • Research the differences between energy and power in physics
  • Explore the caloric content and explosive properties of various materials
  • Study the digestion process and how it affects caloric absorption
  • Investigate the implications of energy delivery speed in demolition and explosives
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physicists, food scientists, demolition experts, and anyone interested in the comparative analysis of energy sources and their practical applications.

Nim
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A http://muller.lbl.gov/teaching/Physics10/chapters/1-Explosions.htm listed what I have posted below. Does it make sense to compare the calories of a chocolate chip cookie to the calories of TNT? Maybe there is more calories in TNT than 1 but not all of it can be released fast enough to be apart of the explosion. Or maybe people don't digest all the calories in a cookie and so the calories listed are smaller than how much it actually contains.

Code: 
object                                Calories in one gram 

gasoline                              10
chocolate chip cookies                5
bullet (moving at speed of sound)     0.01
methane gas (CH4)                     13
battery (flashlight)                  0.01
battery (computer)                    0.1
hydrogen gas (H2) for fuel cell       26
TNT or dynamite, by convention*       1 
real TNT (trinitrotoluene)            0.651
modern High Explosive (PETN)          1.06
meteor (at 30 km/sec)                 100
 
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First off, kilocalorie would seem more correct for a physics text, but food-calorie makes sense to a layperson.

Second, it explains the difference between power and energy as its rational. Its not the total energy, rather how quickly the energy is delivered.

In demolition, it seems much talk is spent on how fast things happen, seems to follow here.

Cliff
 
We commonly measure energy in calories, so it does "make sense" to compare different sources of energy with calories. As to whether or not it makes sense to compare cookies to dynamite; remember, it is an election year. -Mike