Watermelon Dry Ice Explosion

Supplies:

• large watermelons
• wide-mouth plastic bottles (i.e. small Gatorade bottles)
• dry ice
• water
• sharp knife
• long handled spoon
• safety glasses
• tape measure, optional

Steps:

1. Set a bottle on top of the watermelon and poke around it with the knife to mark how big the hole will need to be. Move the bottle and cut away the watermelon. Then use a spoon to scoop out the hole, making it deep enough for the bottle to fit down inside the watermelon, leaving just the lid sticking out.

 
2. Place 3-10 oz. of dry ice into the bottle (be sure to wear gloves), add a small amount of water, screw the lid on tightly, drop the bottle into the watermelon, and get out of the way!

 

 

 
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3. The blast radius was pretty far for the smallest pieces. Our largest pieces still went as far away as 8 feet!

 

 

 
4. Be patient as the gases inside the bottle will need time to build up. Sometimes you will experience a dud, with either the lid blowing off leaving the watermelon intact. Or sometimes the gases will begin to escape the bottle due to a loose lid, which will result in no explosion at all.
   
   Warning: If an explosion doesn't occur it is still unsafe to open the bottle right away. Our son found out the hard way, when he went to open the bottle, the lid shot off and hit him in the chest leaving quite the mark. Instead, set the bottle aside and dispose of it later.

 
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