The Fastest (and Most Dangerous) Way to Light a Grill

In 1996, George Goble was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry for doing pretty much the exact same thing.

The original video of the grill lighting (from 1995) is on YouTube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sab2Ltm1WcM

It's a shame that Mr Gray's video, as well as PopSci, does not give credit to Mr. Gobel for the original idea.

"liquid oxygen, an extremely flammable form of the element"

Oxygen does not burn and is not flammable. Please fix article.

u8t5, are you high? I can not tell you just how fast your post made my head hurt. I can only pray that you never breed.

wow u8t5....are you serious? For one thing, you quoted it as saying "...an extremely flammable FORM of the element". Also, liquid oxygen tanks are labeled profusely with extremely flammable and explosive stickers....

This is sad....children these days need MUCH better educations.

Mai2ine and caradoc01, you should really think about what you're saying before you say it, now you look like complete morons. What u8t5 is saying is correct. Oxygen does not burn. Oxygen is an oxidant, not a fuel. Pure oxygen by itself will not burn, but will enable extremely fast combustion of anything in it (Apollo 1).

@u8t5 and @Freekin: Exactly right.

@caradoc01 and @Mai2ine: Oxygen in itself is not flammable. Rather, it makes everything else around it that is prone to any kind of oxidation (=burning) extremely flammable. This might sound like a nitpicking argument, but it really isn't. There is a huge difference, and this is a very big issue when designing rockets, rocket propellants and explosives of all kinds (except of the nuclear variety).

Example; in the video that accompanies the article liquid oxygen is poured over the already partly burning charcoal. What happens is not that the oxygen burns, but that the oxygen accelerates the burning of the charcoal because there is so much more of oxygen for the carbon to react with. Hence, the result is a fireball.

The commentators are correct that oxygen (liquid or otherwise) is not itself, technically, flammable. The common definition of burning is something, typically organic matter of some sort, combining with oxygen. Oxygen is fundamental to the process of burning, but there's always something else burning in the presence of the oxygen, and even though the oxygen is consumed in the process, we don't typically talk about oxygen itself "burning".

Oxygen is technically known as an oxidizer, or to the forensics people as an accelerant. Adding oxygen to almost any fire HUGELY accelerates the rate of combustion, and liquid oxygen is the most concentrated form of oxygen you can have.

Theodore Gray

"an extremely flammable energetic form of the element"

..as compared to what other form? The solid is a bit difficult to find and the gas has the same oxidation properties as the liquid.

Your correction needs an additional correction ;-(

let me try to clear things up a bit, liquid oxygen its self is not flammable at all BUT, when added to something that is burning it accelerates the burning SO, if you are going by the book it is not technically flammable but it does cause the substance burning to become extreamly flammable hence fire hazard. (sry 4 any misspellings)

let me try to clear things up a bit, liquid oxygen its self is not flammable at all BUT, when added to something that is burning it accelerates the burning SO, if you are going by the book it is not technically flammable but it does cause the substance burning to become extreamly flammable hence fire hazard. (sry 4 any misspellings)

Wow! Liguid oxygen RULES! Where can get me some??

Jess
www.web-privacy.de.tc

oxygen isnt, the only thing that'l cause combustables to burn, clorine is considered an oxidizer as well
I was dong a combustion experiment yesterday in my chemistry class burning sodium in chlorine. it was pretty awesome.
HALO Nerd ;D

Back to the vid, I think the superhot charcoal actually burned a hole in the bottom of the grill! Something is shining thru, anyhoo.

Chlorine is NOT an oxidizer. Calcium hypochlorite releases copius amounts of oxygen and chlorine compounds in more limited amounts once it contacts water - think swimming pool shock. The oxygen 'burns' (oxidizes) the organic matter
that is accumulated in the filters and the chlorine compounds provide disinfectant properties that kill the bacteria, virii, and parasites (also known as 'organic matter').

Chlorine is NOT an oxidizer. Calcium hypochlorite releases copius amounts of oxygen and chlorine compounds in more limited amounts once it contacts water - think swimming pool shock. The oxygen 'burns' (oxidizes) the organic matter
that is accumulated in the filters and the chlorine compounds provide disinfectant properties that kill the bacteria, virii, and parasites (also known as 'organic matter').

Chlorine is NOT an oxidizer. Calcium hypochlorite releases copius amounts of oxygen and chlorine compounds in more limited amounts once it contacts water - think swimming pool shock. The oxygen 'burns' (oxidizes) the organic matter
that is accumulated in the filters and the chlorine compounds provide disinfectant properties that kill the bacteria, virii, and parasites (also known as 'organic matter').