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Re: [Phys-L] exploring explosions



On 12/05/2016 02:01 PM, David Strasburger asked:

What are some simple interesting ways to measure an explosion?

NOTE: These are offered in the spirit of hypotheses for
the experts to consider. I am not an expert, and would
not presume to offer suggestions, especially where it comes
to the safety issues.


1) Hypothetically, one might measure the velocity of detonation.
In physics context this would be called /speed/ (not velocity),
but it would be bad manners to argue the point. Organic chemistry
is different from organic vegetables. Context matters.

Hypothetically, the blasting crew might be interested in this
for their own reasons. The speed is enormous, but still
measurable. One way is the D'Autriche method. It is not an
absolute measurement, but measures one explosive relative to
another. It's not obvious a_priori that this should work,
but it does.
https://books.google.com/books?id=xyRG0J6VCPsC&dq=dautriche%20method&pg=PA72#v=onepage

2) Here is a way of illustrating the third law of motion in a
super-authentic real-world situation: Tamping. There are a
lot of ways of doing this. Here is a simplified notion:

Safety mat: =========================
Spacer: / / / / / /
Spacer: / / / X / / /
Plate: ------------------------
Spacer: / / / / / /
Ground: #########################

Make the spacer flimsy, like a shipping pallet, mostly empty
space. Put a small amount of explosive on top of the witness
plate, at position X, with no tamping.

Repeat the experiment with tamping, i.e. with a couple of sand
bags on top of the explosive.

This makes the point that the effects of an explosion don't
simply happen "because there was an explosion". They happen
in accordance with the laws of physics.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tamping+%22witness+plate%22

3) Hypothetically, one could acquire the seismometer data.
Print it out and post it on a wall somewhere, with all
channels side-by-side. This should tell you something
about the subsurface geology.

-----------

This should give you some ideas. Of course it all depends on
whether the blasting crew wants to play along.

I have some marvelous additional hypotheses, but the margin of
this email is too small to contain them.