Burn Paper INSIDE Balloon! w/Laser - YT Video ;-)

Having watched a couple of videos (Jayrob's phaser vid comes to mind) showing lasers igniting flash paper as well as previously reading about popping a darker balloon inside a transparent balloon I decided to do a bit of a mash-up.



Full HD version and Twitter/Facebook/Etc. share link: http://d.ro/laserflash

I made the video as a sort of demonstration that could be followed by physics and/or chemistry instructors to illustrate varying levels of optical energy absorption based upon a substance and/or its opacity.

I use an excellent Stainless Steel Cree 14500 based "hot-option" EzFocus host assembled by jayrob combined with a Pioneer BDR-205 diode (driven at 500 mA) to ignite the paper.

I've looked around to see if this demonstration has been done before and couldn't find anything.

Anyone else performed this experiment previously or seen it performed elsewhere?

Thanks!

-Scott

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1: 12X Bluray laser BURNS flash paper INSIDE balloon! see the vid
2: Funny & Cool NYC JumboTron beam shot video!
3: Laser Burn Video - Engraving by Hand

Re: Burn Paper INSIDE Balloon!

Whoa! I want to try that!

Burn Paper INSIDE Balloon!

Earthworm401 said:

Whoa! I want to try that!

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Just follow the video directions. Be sure to follow proper safety steps including usage of adequate protective eyewear as well as usage of some sort of a laser dump (or high powered laser safe space) for the exiting beam. Also, there is a slight but definite fire danger here. Ensure that nothing flammable is in the vicinity of the demonstration.

-Scott

That's a very cool idea!

I love how you see the balloon expanding from the gas inside heating before it breaks from the dropping fragments of paper.

It would be even better if you could prevent the latter somehow, such that the balloon doenst break, and eventually cools down to about its original size.

Benm said:

That's a very cool idea!

I love how you see the balloon expanding from the gas inside heating before it breaks from the dropping fragments of paper.

It would be even better if you could prevent the latter somehow, such that the balloon doenst break, and eventually cools down to about its original size.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your compliment. Your idea is in fact how the video ends. You can either watch it all the way through or just jump to the part where the paper burns without bursting the balloon here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3xosVS4NOk#t=6m30

I just added that first bit to start the video with a bang and also show a failed attempt at not exploding the balloon. The ember/fragment came about because I had tied the string to the flash paper too tightly and thus the burn was incomplete at the tie point and smoldered on a bit.

-Scott

Very cool experiment!
Put a cadmium sulfide photo-resistor with two very thin wires on it inside the balloon and then inflate it and tie it off. Then put the photo-resistor in parallel with the current feedback resistor of a DDL circuit driving your laser. Now with your cheap UV laser diode, being driven by the DDL circuit shine the laser on the photo-resistor. It should suddenly go very bright and pop the balloon. If the current goes too high though it might kill the LD.

millirad said:

Very cool experiment!
Put a cadmium sulfide photo-resistor with two very thin wires on it inside the balloon and then inflate it and tie it off. Then put the photo-resistor in parallel with the current feedback resistor of a DDL circuit driving your laser. Now with your cheap UV laser diode, being driven by the DDL circuit shine the laser on the photo-resistor. It should suddenly go very bright and pop the balloon. If the current goes too high though it might kill the LD.

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The photo-resistor idea sounds really cool for us techie folks. With my videos I am trying to produce cool material that is fairly easy to quickly understand for the average individual while also being somewhat unique. I am planning on producing a whole series of laser-centered videos. Some of them will almost surely expand on this idea of igniting materials inside transparent ballons.
Maybe you could make your idea into a video? I would definitely be part of your audience!

-Scott

I have seen a similar video before where a dark balloon is popped inside a clear balloon, very cool effect. I think I like it better with flash paper. Nice narration also, you made it very clear/well worded what was going on.

Ah, i missed the last one where it stays intact. A friend of mine teaches physics and chemistry, i'll suggest this experiment! I'll have to find the flash paper here though, no idea what shops sell any. Otherwise i could make it myself, though i wouldn't suggest that one for highschool chemistry classes

Benm said:

Ah, i missed the last one where it stays intact. A friend of mine teaches physics and chemistry, i'll suggest this experiment! I'll have to find the flash paper here though, no idea what shops sell any. Otherwise i could make it myself, though i wouldn't suggest that one for highschool chemistry classes

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There is one adjustment that is needed for the instructions. The laser dot should not be positioned haphazardly on the paper (as is done in the video as it currently is showing). The dot should in fact be positioned to start the burn from the bottom. The reason this is the case is that if the laser dot is positioned at the top then it will start the burn there and the lower unburned half of the paper will almost immediately separate from the top burning half. The problem with that is that the lower half will likely not have enough time (depending upon the size of the piece of paper) to burn entirely before hitting the bottom of the balloon. Obviously if the lower half is still burning when it hits the bottom of the balloon it will pop it. By starting the burn at the bottom the flame front/chemical burn reaction will proceed upward and allow the paper to burn entirely without ever falling into the balloon.

In fact in the slow motion version of the second burn it is possible to observe this separation. The only reason that the balloon doesn't pop is that the piece of paper was small enough that the small pieces that began to fall actually had enough time to be consumed prior to landing on the bottom of the balloon.

-Scott

Addonex said:

I have seen a similar video before where a dark balloon is popped inside a clear balloon, very cool effect. I think I like it better with flash paper. Nice narration also, you made it very clear/well worded what was going on.

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Addonex,
Thank you for your critique. Your comment actually made me think about the video a bit more and it thereby spurred me on to realize how it could be improved (as I mention in the comment just above). Thanks for that!

-Scott

Smart idea :topic:

Excellent ! :gj:

I watched that vid too. Very nice demonstration of transparency and laser capability. Shame that residual ember dropped popped the one balloon.
Still, a lot to be learned from that vid with some thought. The paper is white(solid) inside an translucent (somewhat clear) balloon.
Nicely done! +rep.

nice video and explanation. I wonder how the result would turn out if that balloon was filled with hydrogen..?

Don't do hydrogen LOL. I remember someone who lit a hydrogen balloon with a long torch and scorched their eyebrows from the tremendous explosion.