MythBusters Episode 107: Water Stun Gun
Air Date: September 17, 2008
You can create a stun gun that effectively delivers a shock over distances via a stream of water.
busted
The MythBusters tested various commercial water guns to see if they could create a steady, unbroken stream of water, which is essential for the conduction of electricity. None of them achieved this, so the MythBusters built their own custom water gun and attached a commercial stun gun to provide the electricity. They tested the amount of electricity a stream of water could deliver to a target, and discovered that the voltage dropped significantly as distance to the target increased, making the gun impractical to use at long distances and busting the myth. In order to see what it would take to have a water stun gun work at a distance, the Mythbusters used a tesla coil to power the gun with up to a million volts. The gun worked at a distance, and the lightning bolt could clearly be seen traveling down the stream of water. However, the rig remained impractical due to its size.
The act of walking over hot coals is purely a mind-over-matter act and cannot be explained by science.
busted
The Build Team theorized that feet don’t get burned when walking over coals because the ash on the coals forms an insulating layer and also because the foot does not stay in contact with the coals for a long period. When they tried coal walking themselves, they were able to easily crossed the coals. The team noted that they felt confident because of their faith in physics.
If thrown into a fire, a carbon fire extinguisher with a safety valve will explode and put out the fire.
busted
The carbon fire extinguisher did not explode due to the safety valve, and merely vented its contents over a span of fifteen minutes.
If thrown into a fire, a water fire extinguisher will explode and put out the fire.
busted
The water fire extinguisher did better than the carbon fire extinguisher, but didn’t manage to extinguish the flames entirely.
If thrown into a fire, a chemical foam extinguisher will explode and put out the fire.
plausible
The chemical foam extinguisher actually ruptured, but only put out the flames because the explosion scattered the fuel, rather than actually snuffing out the flame.
If thrown into a fire, a carbon fire extinguisher without a safety valve will explode and put out the fire.
plausible
Like the chemical extinguisher, the carbon fire extinguisher exploded, putting out the fire by scattering the fuel rather than actually extinguishing it.
Newer: Episode 108: Blind Driving
can a phone book about 1 inch thick stop a bullet.
September 26, 2008 at 9:02 PMWell, it definitly can, but on the other hand it can not, for sure. – The rest is up to your imagination of what kind of bullet is used. ;)
October 2, 2008 at 1:35 AMWe were told that a neighbor had set off a “canister of household chemicals to where the trofjectory was picked on radar at Fort Knox and his launch equipment was confiscated by the army. My kids want to know if this is true. My parents lived very close to the tank range and there are other details that you might be able to check out for truth or fiction. I don’t know if the neighbor still lives close by but I know it was supposed to have happened about 1985. I have an idea about what he used but don’t think I should post it here.
October 11, 2008 at 5:02 PMOk! How can I tell you how much i appreciate your show! I live in Southeast Texas with lots of swamps!!! On Thursday Oct. 9, 2008 My friend and I went to pick up her little girl that is 6 about 11:00 p.m, and on the way home a man ran us off of the road and into the swamp…. It was the swamp or a head on collision…In seconds the car started to sink… Thank God for your show because when we hit the water all I could think about is how much time I had to manually unlock the door and push it open quick!(knowing from MythBusters that electric power doesnt work anymore) I got out of the car along with dragging the two others out and SCREAMED THANK YOU GOD FOR MYTHBUSTERS!!! I watch the show all the time and I remember the demos that you guys did for when your car goes in the water and what to do to get out!! Needless to say if I were to have never known about your show and the extremely dangerous stunts you do My best friend, Kylee who is six and just lost her father to a tragedy, and I would be dead and gone! SO THANK You so much for putting your own life in danger to give knowlegde to the world and SAVE PEOPLE along with MY OWN LIFE!!! I have no words to say but from the HEART THANK YOU! For more then your show but for me to see my family and friends again!!!
I hope im in the right spot for you to actually read this!! Thanks again!! Valerie Stevens, Kristen Jackson, and lil Kylee
October 13, 2008 at 5:39 PMi want you guys to take a bunch of C4 or any huge explozive put it in a dump truck and blow it up. For fun.
October 16, 2008 at 5:00 PMdear Mythbusters, do you think you can test if a person in a room will suffocate to death slowly if there’s a fan on in the room and the door and windows are closed?
October 21, 2008 at 9:42 AMRe Water Stun Gun:
Did you think of using salt water in the gun? Salt water will conduct electricity much better than fresh water.
October 24, 2008 at 5:10 AMJoe’s idea is great. Which leads to another myth to investigate. Supposedly, pure distilled water will NOT conduct electricity. But water with any chemicals in it (especially metal or nitrates) will conduct electricity and is the medium for electroplating gold, silver, nickel, chrome, etc.
November 14, 2008 at 2:29 PMI had the same idea as joe (salt water stun gun), although I was wondering if there was anything else that can be added to water to make it more conductive.
February 20, 2009 at 1:35 AMRegarding the water stun gun, were you using tap water? Clean water does not conduct electricity very well. If you add salt, an electrolyte, the solution will conduct electricity much better. I hope to see this revisited ;)
February 23, 2009 at 9:08 PMThe reason Adam burned his feet is because he did it during the day. Notice that the firewalking clinic and the other three mythbusters did the fire walk at night… this not only adds to the dramatic effect and looks good on camera, but allows the walkers to see where the red hot coals are and avoid them.
March 22, 2009 at 12:03 AMAbout the water stungun myth, can you replace the water with mercury? I think this will work because mercury is a liquid like water and is a metal which conduct electricity easily. After you try that, I want you to shoot the mercury stungun through the tesla coil and see what happens.
June 19, 2009 at 11:22 AMFor those who are suggesting they make sure the water had ions (and wasn’t distilled)…what, do you think these guys are stupid?
And the reason he burned his feet was discussed in the episode. He curled his toes in his nervousness and caused coal pieces to stick to his feet and the prolonged contact lead to burning.
September 14, 2009 at 6:25 PM.45 ACP will stop in approx. 1-2″ of a phone book. .38 special is also likely to stop in 1″-2″ of phone book. These are low velocity projectiles. Hollowpoints and wadcutter ammo stops the quickest.
December 19, 2009 at 6:39 AM