Sunda666 writes "I have just hit this site which describes in detail how to build an one-atmosphere plasmoid using ordinary stuff and a microwave oven. Interesting thing, i'll try it as soon as I get a spherical glass vessel like that ;-)"
You don't need a "vessel" and this is old news
by
a3d0a3m
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· Score: 5, Informative
This has been done before, and posted to slashdot before. You can do it without the glass vessel. There's an old quickies here that shows how to do it without the vessel.
Adam
Re:You don't need a "vessel" and this is old news
by
garglblaster
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· Score: 5, Informative
Here is another page which has been around for a few years now:
Re:You don't need a "vessel" and this is old news
by
BlueUnderwear
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· Score: 4, Informative
You can do it without the glass vessel.
Yes, but without a glass vessel, the ball lightning will be too short-lived. Indeed, due to higher temperature, it raises up, and as soon as it reaches the metal ceiling of the nuker, it collapses. The glass vessel makes sure that it can get to the metal, and hence it will stay longer (contact with glass doesn't make the plasmoid collapse, because glass doesn't conduct electricity).
I just wonder whether the shape is important, or whether an inverted drinking glass would also do the job.
-- Say no to software patents.
Don't Forget Kids...
by
Greyfox
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· Score: 5, Funny
This is extremely hazardous and should never be tried at home. That's what the microwaves at work are there for!
--
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Just as much fun...
by
Deltan
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· Score: 4, Interesting
Take a non conductive container and fill it part way with water. Take your standard every day 60 Watt light bulb and submerge the threaded end into the water. Put the container into the microwave & turn it on.
Fun light show...wheee!
Re:Just as much fun...
by
Deltan
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· Score: 3, Informative
If the threaded metallic end is not submerged the metal will spark in the microwave and you might blow up the whole works.
Seen this before, be carefull!
by
j3110
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· Score: 5, Informative
I was going to try this a year ago, but decided that I didn't really need a darwin award:) You can do it with any glass bowl and anything that burns in any microwave that you feel safe doing it in:) The brown gas you see, NO2, is toxic and is found in cigarette smoke. Be careful, it's arguably the most harmful substance in cigarettes. Not good for the atmosphere either:) I really don't think there is that much in cigarettes, and I would urge anyone foolish enough to do this (like me after a few drinks) to NOT breath the funky air!:)
You have been warned!:) http://www.epa.gov/oar/aqtrnd95/no2.html bad stuff really:) when it dissolves in your lungs, it's likely to make nitric acid, which is like to make your lungs liquid if you breath too much.
-- Karma Clown
Re:Seen this before, be carefull!
by
The+Bungi
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· Score: 5, Funny
bad stuff really:) when it dissolves in your lungs, it's likely to make nitric acid, which is like to make your lungs liquid if you breath too much.
Dear Sir,
I smoke 3 packs a day of unfiltered Camels. Does that mean I can try your experiment with alacrity?
Please respond to me immediately.
Sincerely,
satamarnayananamayanapan guchanda
sat@hotmail.com
Re:Seen this before, be carefull!
by
Alsee
·
· Score: 3, Funny
NOT breath the funky air!
Is that kind of like "Don't eat the yellow snow"?
-
-- - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
More microwave experiments
by
eram
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· Score: 5, Informative
Some other potentially dangerous experiments with CD:s, light bulbs and other objects in microwave owens can be found here. Looks interesting, but I personally wouldn't do that in my own kitchen.
For an even quicker thrill, try putting marshmallows in the microwave.
For those too lazy to actually get up, find marshmallows and find microwave, use this applet to cook them virtually, or check out this time lapse video.
Re:What if you DON'T heed the warnings...
by
BlueUnderwear
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· Score: 3, Informative
If you do and it melts the glass, will it attack the ceiling of the microwave itself next? =)
No. Actually, as soon as the plasmoid touches a conductive (metal) surface, it shorts out and just collapses. The purpose of the glass vessel is not to protected the ceiling of the microvave oven, but rather to protect the plasmoid;-)
-- Say no to software patents.
Manufacturer Warnings of Old
by
MyNameIsFred
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· Score: 5, Funny
30 years ago my father owned an applicance store, back when microwave ovens were becoming popular. GE told the store owners about some neat tricks to impress the customers.
Nothing draws them in like putting light bulbs in the microwave and letting the magic turn them on.
Not too long after they told us how to do the tricks, GE yelled STOP. It's scaring the bejebbus out of the public. We're getting frantic calls about the death rays.
When air gets hot enough it turns into a plasma which is conductive. This means it adsorbs microwaves which drives up the temperature and keeps it in the conductive plasma state. You get a ball of plasma, as long as you keep pumping in microwave energy.
The flame itself is nowhere near hot enough to create plasma to get the process started, but after a few seconds the flame, microwaves, and I think the burning object (conductive carbon) combine to trigger a little high temperature spark which can get the process going.
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-- - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
The "humming" explained
by
Alsee
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· Score: 3, Informative
If you look deeper into the website you'll see that the author goes into detail analyzing the sound produced. The humming sound is simply the frequency of the microwave electronics. The plasma itself would normally be silent. It is acting as a "speaker" based on the varying energy it gets from the microwave oven. If you take a look here you'll see projects that use the plasma effect as an extremely high quality tweeter.
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-- - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
Just tried it out...
by
BlueUnderwear
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· Score: 4, Informative
Having no suitable sperical vessel ready, I used a sawed-off plastic mineral water bottle. Having no tooth-picks ready either, I just stuck the match itself into the cork. As recommended in a previous Slashdot story about the subject, I removed the revolving plate, and put a glass of water into the back.
First attempt: the match always went out before it could produce any plasma ball. D'oh
Second attempt: rather than using a match, I stuck a long pencil mine into the cork, and set the oven to thirty seconds. 29 seconds of nothing. Then a loud whizz, and the time ran out before it could get any more interesting (should've set it to a minute).
However, this one second of action was enough to fill the bottle with a mysterious thick white fume. Question: is this the nytrogen oxyde that the article speaks about, or was it only the plastic burning (other than the fumes, there were no obvious traces of burn on the bottle). Worrying that the fumes might be toxic, I didn't repeat the experiment.
-- Say no to software patents.
Re:Just tried it out...
by
BlueUnderwear
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Ok, curiosity was stronger than worry:
Third attempt: more or less same setup as previously, but a little less water in the "load" glass, and using a larger cork, so that the mine could stand upright without leaning against the bottle. A spark appeared already early on in the experiment, but didn't cause a ball. However, the same candle-flavored fumes started appearing again. Then it hit me: they came from the cork, which was heated by the pencil mine stuck into it. Indeed, the cork had small traces of burn. Still no plasmoid, alas.
Fourth attempt: Figuring that strength of microwaves might depend on orientation, I broke a small piece off the mine, and stuck it into the cork, horizontally, rather than vertically. Soon indeed sparks, and then a ball of fire appeared, but unfortunately the pleasure was rather short-lived: the plasmoid set fire to the plastic bottle, and thus I had to stop the mess. Ok, I'll have to hunt for a suitable glass vessel.
Slashdot Mirror
This has been done before, and posted to slashdot before. You can do it without the glass vessel. There's an old quickies here that shows how to do it without the vessel.
Adam
This is extremely hazardous and should never be tried at home. That's what the microwaves at work are there for!
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Take a non conductive container and fill it part way with water. Take your standard every day 60 Watt light bulb and submerge the threaded end into the water. Put the container into the microwave & turn it on.
Fun light show...wheee!
I was going to try this a year ago, but decided that I didn't really need a darwin award :) You can do it with any glass bowl and anything that burns in any microwave that you feel safe doing it in :) The brown gas you see, NO2, is toxic and is found in cigarette smoke. Be careful, it's arguably the most harmful substance in cigarettes. Not good for the atmosphere either :) I really don't think there is that much in cigarettes, and I would urge anyone foolish enough to do this (like me after a few drinks) to NOT breath the funky air! :)
:) :) when it dissolves in your lungs, it's likely to make nitric acid, which is like to make your lungs liquid if you breath too much.
You have been warned!
http://www.epa.gov/oar/aqtrnd95/no2.html
bad stuff really
Karma Clown
Some other potentially dangerous experiments with CD:s, light bulbs and other objects in microwave owens can be found here. Looks interesting, but I personally wouldn't do that in my own kitchen.
There's always a funky-looking microwave in 7-11s for cooking your burritos and whatnot...
For those too lazy to actually get up, find marshmallows and find microwave, use this applet to cook them virtually, or check out this time lapse video.
For those craving more of an intellectual thrill, find the speed of light with marshmallows using a microwave.
No. Actually, as soon as the plasmoid touches a conductive (metal) surface, it shorts out and just collapses. The purpose of the glass vessel is not to protected the ceiling of the microvave oven, but rather to protect the plasmoid ;-)
Say no to software patents.
Nothing draws them in like putting light bulbs in the microwave and letting the magic turn them on.
Not too long after they told us how to do the tricks, GE yelled STOP. It's scaring the bejebbus out of the public. We're getting frantic calls about the death rays.
How times have changed.
explaining to me what the hell this is?
When air gets hot enough it turns into a plasma which is conductive. This means it adsorbs microwaves which drives up the temperature and keeps it in the conductive plasma state. You get a ball of plasma, as long as you keep pumping in microwave energy.
The flame itself is nowhere near hot enough to create plasma to get the process started, but after a few seconds the flame, microwaves, and I think the burning object (conductive carbon) combine to trigger a little high temperature spark which can get the process going.
-
- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
If you look deeper into the website you'll see that the author goes into detail analyzing the sound produced. The humming sound is simply the frequency of the microwave electronics. The plasma itself would normally be silent. It is acting as a "speaker" based on the varying energy it gets from the microwave oven. If you take a look here you'll see projects that use the plasma effect as an extremely high quality tweeter.
-
- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
First attempt: the match always went out before it could produce any plasma ball. D'oh
Second attempt: rather than using a match, I stuck a long pencil mine into the cork, and set the oven to thirty seconds. 29 seconds of nothing. Then a loud whizz, and the time ran out before it could get any more interesting (should've set it to a minute). However, this one second of action was enough to fill the bottle with a mysterious thick white fume. Question: is this the nytrogen oxyde that the article speaks about, or was it only the plastic burning (other than the fumes, there were no obvious traces of burn on the bottle). Worrying that the fumes might be toxic, I didn't repeat the experiment.
Say no to software patents.
The flame of a match is just hot gas, not plasma. The flame's light comes from incandescent particles of carbon, not ionized atoms.
Stop worrying about the risks of nuclear power and start worrying about the risks of not using nuclear power.