Nitrogen Triiodide is a contact explosive, which means that even with the slightest touch, it'll release a large amount of energy all at one time and explode. Most of the explanation of this property ...

The words "chemistry" and "easy" rarely go together. But, this rule is (more or less) broken when it comes to understanding the chemistry of explosives. Almost all of them have two things in common: ...

Nitrogen triiodide is an unstable chemical so reactive that the slightest touch can set it off, even from a stray radioactive alpha particle. A feather, a mosquito, or a gust of air can also make it ...

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An curved arrow pointing right. The Royal Institution of Great Britain filmed an experiment with sensitive explosive nitrogen triiodide. The compound is made of three iodine atoms clustered around a ...

Boom! Even if a feather dropped on or a mosquito landed on or like a heavy piece of dust managed to get on top of nitrogen triiodide, an immediate dark purple explosion happens. It’s because nitrogen ...

Nitrogen triiodide is exceedingly cool stuff. The purple solid is very easy to make, but you better keep it wet. Once dry, it's a powerful contact explosive which could theoretically be useful for ...