Comments on: Episode 14: Myths Revisited

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 12 May 2012 07:22:11 +0000

(ice bullet)what about putting a metal cap behind the bullet with maybe a post up to the top to keep the weight right.. and freezing the bullet with liquide nitrogen?

By: Dian

Dian — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:12:21 +0000

Hi, Just start small, do a couple of cans at a time and make sure they are as flat as you can get them. I aawyls stand by my printer so I can stop it if something makes scraping noises. Good luck!

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:03:27 +0000

Not only do cans explode in cars in the heat (the stuck buttons on my radio are remaining evidence), but plastic bottles can get hot enough even just outside. I’ve seen a row of 2 liters of Mt Dew explode while getting gas because the station left them outside for an advertisement display on a hot day.
The problem is that mythbusters, while a cool show and lord knows I’d love to have their job, don’t know how to account for confounding variables.
For example, heating a car isn’t enough – the sun’s rays are different than a heater. Then if the can happens to be in direct sunlight, not just the heat, even more energy goes into the can.
I also got upset at the super heroes episode (first one) where they tested whether a ring could leave an indentation on someone’s forehead when punched. They did well with the mechanic arm and all, but the skin they used not only wasn’t close enough to human, it also was just draped over the head. Our skin’s attached pretty well… If the skin isn’t attached, there’s a lot more give and the force gets moved away, thus no indentation.
I don’t know if that one would be true or not, but just the fact that they quite often don’t take those things into account.

This soda can myth is definitely true, keep cans out of car on both HOT and COLD days.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:50:56 +0000

Episode 12′s bridge test was a joke. Episode 14 tested and changed to plausible, but didn’t air.
Given episode 60′s tesla testing with a small oscillator, you’d think the bridge question would be revisited.
When in the Army, I was in a platoon (approx 40 guys) doing our 15 miler.
Our Drill Sergeants didn’t put us into routestep as we started to cross a trestle bridge in Ft Sill OK. It started oscillating side-to-side so bad that when we did break step, it was hard to stay standing for a few seconds.
It didn’t shake apart, but then we didn’t continue once we realized what was happening and stopped our activity, so who knows what would happen if we continued… or worse, if we emphasized our action to see what would happen?
The issue with episode 12′s test is that they tried to “stomp” the bridge down.
That’s not the problem with marking troops. It’s the side-to-side shifting of weight that causes the issue.
Find a nice rope bridge, line up the staff and match across in synch, then multiply that by a bunch and imagine the impact on a more solid structure without as much “give”.

Sorry, episode 12 always made me scream “are you serious?!?” at the TV, since they failed to see the horrid flaw in their test.

By: Clinton

Clinton — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:33:07 +0000

Both aerosols and soda cans can explode in a hot car.

1) Personal experience I had a can of soda on my front seat and car was parked in full sun (temp on day was about 35C). Came back to my car to find sticky soda everywhere. Can top had blown off and the bottom piece had ballooned out. Myth totally confirmed in my opinion.

2) as for aerosols I work for a company manufacturing these. By law all aerosol cans need to be tested at 55C to ensure that they have no leaks and are not over pressured. The cans we use have a burst pressure of about 1400 kPa, and usual pressure of a typical aerosol we manufacture is about 750kPa at 55C. So there is a safety factor built in, but if you store it in an area which can be exposed to temperature > 55C the risk is all yours. I’ve tested cans up to 85C and got internal pressures of around 1300 kPa so this is really pushing the limits of the cans. If there is a slight defect in either the can itself, the crimping of the valve onto tthe can, or the quantity of propellant filled into the can there is definitely a huge risk of exposure. Internal temperatures of a car standing
in the sun can easily reach 70-80C (on a day when outside temps are 35C)

For what it is worth I have had a box of safety matches ignite inside a car on a hot day. Luckily for me I went to the car and managed to put the fire out before it got too serious – only melted a bit of plastic.

By: CHERY GEATHERS

CHERY GEATHERS — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:31:43 +0000

My husband just had a can of Pepsi explode in his face and heat had nothing to do with it. The can was at room temperature ( about 80 degrees) and he was stocking a built in can holder in the refrigerator. There is some impact on the can when it lands on the can beneath. Interestingly, it wasn’t the top that blew off. There was a jagged rent from top to bottom.

By: KR

KR — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 11:49:10 +0000

Oh my, so frozen chickens really penetrate more glasses than thawed chickens? The weapon industry better start producing full metal jackets again, and stop making those rubber bullets…

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:14:25 +0000

I wish y’all would come visit Texas in the summer. It’s nothing new to have a can of coke explode in the car if ya leave it there in the summer. My wife left a brand new 12 pack in the back seat. After coming work she found 9 out of 12 cans exploded! They tore up that box pretty good. Only 3 cans survived.

By: Michele Scercy

Michele Scercy — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 23:58:11 +0000

I had 5 cans of diet Dr. Pepper in the 12 pack box sitting on the passenger seat of my new car. While I was at work today 2 of the cans exploded inside my car- so, yes, it can happen as has already been mentioned.

By: Darren Forster

Darren Forster — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 05:58:11 +0000

After yesterday I was so shocked and can confirm that cans of pop can explode if left in a hot car. Was working on car park yesterday at Goodwood festival of speed, left cans of dr pepper in the car in heat. Went to open one – BOOM! – the metal ring pull blew upwards out of the can, obviously the weakest point, then made weaker at the moment of lifting ring pull. Luckily only just stayed attached to the can. Quite shocking.