Today we have a shot of a frozen water balloon shattering on concrete.
Materials
A frozen water balloon.
Procedure
Fill a balloon with water, put it in the freezer. Peel, then drop!
Result
It is my intent to do several of these from varying heights. This one was dropped from approx 3.5′ – 4′. The balloon shatters very much like you would expect a large chunk of ice to shatter. Though it is interesting to see just how it shatters. The ice ball itself had several fractures that came as a result of the freezing process and you can see when it shatters that it breaks along those lines first. It have been experimenting with different freezing conditions in an attempt to get a ball sans fractures. Enjoy this one in the mean time though!
Quote, March 22nd, 2007 by Neil Nafus: “It have been experimenting with different freezing conditions in an attempt to get a ball sans fractures”
(1) You could try to heat up the water (60 Celcius or so) in the balloon before you put it in the freezer. The gradient in temperature in freezing will be higher and as a result the freezing may proceed as layers from out to in rather than sections. This slows down (and improves) the crystal formation as the ice at the outer layers function as isolator material. Try to support the balloon in such a way that it makes no direct contact with the freezer walls (e.g. with a cushion). You can heat up the cushion as well to improve results.
(2) You could also try to freeze it really slow. Either by “powering down” your freezer, by setting the temperature gradually down. Unfreeze the freezer first so the balloon temperature is never lower then freezer temperature.
Stumble it!
Quote, March 22nd, 2007 by Neil Nafus: “It have been experimenting with different freezing conditions in an attempt to get a ball sans fractures”
(1) You could try to heat up the water (60 Celcius or so) in the balloon before you put it in the freezer. The gradient in temperature in freezing will be higher and as a result the freezing may proceed as layers from out to in rather than sections. This slows down (and improves) the crystal formation as the ice at the outer layers function as isolator material. Try to support the balloon in such a way that it makes no direct contact with the freezer walls (e.g. with a cushion). You can heat up the cushion as well to improve results.
(2) You could also try to freeze it really slow. Either by “powering down” your freezer, by setting the temperature gradually down. Unfreeze the freezer first so the balloon temperature is never lower then freezer temperature.
Thanks! I’ll give that a shot.