Breaking Bad Special: Mercury Fulminate | MythBusters

The video explores the properties and behavior of Mercury Fulminate, a highly sensitive primary explosive, as portrayed in the TV show "Breaking Bad." The MythBusters team, with the help of explosive expert Jesse, investigates whether the explosion depicted in the show is accurate.

Scientific Concepts and Discoveries:

• Mercury Fulminate:
  • A primary explosive that is sensitive to shock, impact, friction, heat, and spark.
  • Typically appears as a silver or gray powder, contrary to its crystallized depiction in the show.
  • The crystallization process is complex and not feasible in improvised settings.

Methodology:

• Testing Setup:
  • The team uses 5 grams of Mercury Fulminate instead of the 50 grams used in the show for safety reasons.
  • Instead of throwing the fulminate directly, they utilize a controlled method with a squib to activate the explosion.
  • The fulminate is placed inside a pumpkin to observe the explosion in a more entertaining context.

Results:

The initial test with the pumpkin resulted in a significant explosion, confirming the explosive nature of Mercury Fulminate.

Featured Researchers/Sources:

• Jesse (explosive expert and military consultant)