A former chemistry teacher of mine provided a great definition
of "pyrophoric:"
[It] means that if you playfully squirt some at your lab mates, they will burst into flame.
In other (less amusing) words, a "pyrophoric" substance is one
that ignites spontaneously on exposure to air.
Pyrophoric iron, however, isn't as dangerous as that makes it
sound, especially in small quantities.
Basically, the oxidation of iron is so vigorous that it can cause very finely divided iron metal to become incandescent. Amazing Rust has
Nice video of the "Iodine clock reaction"... here's how to do it too.
Don't forget, MAKE has a great Chemistry section on our blog and the Maker Shed.
I've seen this thing referred to as an "Ocean Mat," a "Prolong Knot," a "Ladder Mat," and a "Sailor's True Love Mat." Whatever you want to call it, it's a noble expression of the manly art of knot-tying, and this tutorial at the UK's Scullion Enterprises will show you how it's done.
More:
Called "Carbon Copy," by Steven Pippin. What do you think the image looks like on the printed paper? Via VVORK.
Read more | Permalink | Comments |In the immortal word of Keanu Reeves: "Whoa."
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Here's how to guess the number of M&Ms in a jar using its "packing fraction" - it gets exciting around the 3:30 mark...
