Explain the danger that happens when pouring hot copper into an iceberg

Today let's try an interesting experiment: pouring molten copper onto an iceberg.

The melting temperature of copper falls in the range of 1000 degrees Celsius. Therefore, if you pour copper into the tape, you would think that the ice sheet would immediately melt into water, or break down as soon as the temperature difference .

However, the truth happens as shown below.

The ice exploded when pouring the molten copper.

To see more clearly, please watch the following video. Please note that this experiment is very dangerous, so absolutely not done at home.

Only a few seconds after contact with the molten copper, the ice sheet did not break apart, but accompanied by a loud bang.

In fact, the story of ice breaking is a normal physical phenomenon, which occurs when solid objects come into contact with a very high temperature.

Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius, copper melts at . 1,000 degrees Celsius, so the crushed ice is understandable.

But why is there an explosion? Let's find the solution right away.

Steam Explosion - Steam Explosion

The cause of explosion is "steam explosion" - Steam Explosion. This is a phenomenon that occurs when water comes into contact with an extremely high temperature (usually from molten metals), causing water to evaporate too quickly.

The rapid rise of steam has increased the volume of the surrounding area. The volume increased rapidly but the steam could not escape quickly and pushed up the pressure and then at certain times, all energy was released.

So is the experiment. Water has evaporated too quickly, but the molten copper prevents water from escaping, resulting in rapid pressure. And of course, the fragile ice sheet can't be enough to withstand the pressure to rise too quickly.

Such explosions are often very dangerous , because steam, hot water and molten metal will shoot in all directions, which can cause burns as easily as in the above video.

This guy, despite his protective gloves, still burns.

This is also one of the most easily encountered disasters in nuclear reactors. Also, sometimes we can admire this spectacle when . volcanoes spray lava into the ocean.

Lava exposed to seawater causes "steam explosion".

Steam explosion at Waikupanaha Beach (Hawaii, USA) when Kilauea volcano is active.