Imagine mixing ping pong balls with liquid nitrogen. It’s the stuff of dreams, but something that you’d be better off watching on video than trying at home.
The experiment was done by scientists at the University of Plymouth, who wanted people to see the joy of science and how interesting it can actually be, and was done by placing a canister of nitrogen into a plastic bin containing warm water, with the balls then poured on top.
The experiment was led by Dr Roy Lowry, Associate Professor in Physical Chemistry, and 1,650 were used, with the professor claiming that he wanted to engage young minds and get kids interested in science.
He claimed:
My hope is that such experiments will excite young (and not so young) minds to ask how and why such things happen and hence to delve deeper into science.
I became a chemist thanks to a teacher who regularly showed us chemistry as well as taught it.
I’m a firm believer in the power of the visual to generate passion for a subject and we need passionate problem solvers in today’s world
It’s not the first time Lowry has been involved in a science experiment, and he’s also part of the Royal Institution’s Science Events for Schools programme, and even acts as a firer for a professional fireworks company from time to time.
