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Re: Exploding soda bottles

At 08:08 6/11/00 -0600, Ken Fox wrote:

I would not recommend this demonstration.

For both the sake of the studnets and the legal affairs department I agree
with avoiding this demonstration. Dramatic, yes but not worth the risk.

Ken Fox
AP/IB Physics Teacher
Smoky Hill High School
Aurora, CO


I am unable to decide between the virtues of two possible avenues:

1) Avoid all demonstrations which have some element of risk, for fear of
prosecution (or on a higher level) lest some student be injured.

2) Approach such demonstrations as object lessons in taking sensible
precautions against personal injury.

In the case of the exploding plastic bottle, suitable precautions would
include
limiting the water level in the bottle.
limiting the mass of the CO2 ice.
insertion of the ice by the demonstrator only.
providing a blast shield which could sensibly comprise a 3/4 inch thickness
plate measuring perhaps 2 feet X 1 foot made of transparent plexiglas.
clear instructions to the onlookers to stay behind the shield, ESPECIALLY
if the bottle hangs fire.


brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK