Electrical resistance ?

[Besoeker]

What's the one that explodes in water? I remember our science teacher in high school dropping a small piece in a beaker of water for a demo (yes I can remember some things that far back...just nothing important).

I think it's sodium.

 

[ohmhead]

No doubt. Even though silver is the most conductive, its weight knocks it down in the ratings. I looked up a few here is the rank (at room temperature):
Lithium (Li)
Aluminum (Al)
Magnesium (Mg)
Copper (Cu)
Silver (Ag)
Zinc (Zn)
Gold (Au)
Molybdenum (Mo)
Nickel (Ni)
Iron (Fe)
Tin (Sn)
Tungsten (W)
Tantalum (Ta)
Platinum (Pt)
Lead (Pb)
Manganese (Mn)
Mercury (Hg)

It might be interesting to see the conductivity ranking without the weight:
Silver (Ag)
Copper (Cu)
Gold (Au)
Aluminum (Al)
Magnesium (Mg)
Tungsten (W)
Molybdenum (Mo)
Zinc (Zn)
Nickel (Ni)
Lithium (Li)
Iron (Fe)
Platinum (Pt)
Tin (Sn)
Tantalum (Ta)
Lead (Pb)
Mercury (Hg)
Manganese (Mn)

What's the one that explodes in water? I remember our science teacher in high school dropping a small piece in a beaker of water for a demo (yes I can remember some things that far back...just nothing important).

Well we do a lot of underground power duck bank electrical work and on each job we have a compaction test everyday its a test for compaction a soil density test its the non nuclear testing the old way . Heres how they test the soil its called a mositure test they take a sample of soil by weight put it in a container they pour in CALCIUM CARBIDE REAGENT this reacts with water meaning a tiny amount will build up lots of pressure in the container theres a pressue gauge on the container they record this for mositure testing .
If you pour a tiny bit of this stuff in a glass of water it will explode !!!
Take care be safe

 

[K8MHZ]

Calcium carbide makes acetylene gas when it comes in contact with water. It's referred to as 'miner's lamp'. We we were kids we used to make cannons from beer cans and shoot tennis balls with them using carbide and water to make the charge.

 

[ohmhead]

Well my father was a electrician in new york city he brought us home a giant mirror from a sky light which was from the old RCA building .

We would cook hot dogs in a bowl of water with pure sun lite .
We actually boiled water in minutes with just a mirror and with a 5 foot diameter 600 lb oval shaped mirror . Today i have a similar sky lite mirror and make lots of hot water for my family we save by using the sun in florida its easy . Take care be safe