Fire Syringe

When air is compressed very quickly, it can reach high temperatures. In this demonstration we show how cotton wool can reach the point of auto-ignition by quick compression of air in the fire syringe.

[vancouverbuspilot]

I'm surprised that you didn't mention that that's how a diesel engine works

[MystyrNile]

So does this means that airbenders can also firebend?

[lambokingable]

wow im really late. a thousand diesel enthusiasts saw this already before I got here.

[uritibon]

This is certainly the first time that I actually understood the concept of compression heating/not heating gas in thermodynamics! Thank you Derek and Nigel!

[veritasium]

@FishyArchaeologist You got it - the sliding plunger speeds up the molecules. It doesn't have to be going incredibly fast, it just needs to increase the KE of the molecules it hits.

[soupflood]

This is the principle Diesel engines were built upon.

[joec]

Wow lol it's very interesting see go back and see these older, significantly less polished episodes when compared to your new, more refined episode. It really illustrates just how far you have come over the years.
Congrats on your success! Thank you for your passionate enthusiasm and Keep it up! I hope to be able to make the comparisons again in another 10 years

[JohnSmith-qnxb]

This is slightly inaccurate. They fail to mention that plunging also increases the partial pressure of O2 in the chamber, which lowers the temperature at which combustion occurs. In other words, the cotton is igniting at a lower temperature than it would ignite at ordinary atmospheric pressure.

[elliottg]

A HANDHELD MICROPHONE truly this is the distant past

[hrishikeshtalukdar]

I can so much relate with the adiabatic compression. We are studying it now and today I saw a practical demonstration of it. Quite fascinating!!!

[veritasium]

sometimes we are economical with language - it saves listing all the components individually. Is there a better way to say it? I don't imagine most people have difficulty understanding that the air is composed of a variety of different molecules and atoms.

[anemoiyang]

Watching this from 2019, he hasn’t aged a day

[blauesmondlicht]

This feels like a school project and he is infront of the class presenting something and the teacher is on the side helping him what to say.

[skyechen]

I found out about Veritasium just a few years ago and have regularly watched your videos since. Then, I was sent here by my Thermal Physics prof. Wow, this video is 9 years old! A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

[sctte-]

Now put some diesel in there and lets see that thing explode

[theencore]

I like how the quality was as good as it is today.

[ArtisanTony]

In bushcraft we call theses fire pistons.

[westganton]

I've known about compression firestarters for awhile now but it's kind of cool to see it happen in a transparent tube.

[lordofduct]

If I'm not mistaken, this is the basic concept behind a diesel engine. I remember when my father first started teaching me about diesel engines when he would bring me on the tractor trailer and show me how to use it, and this very thing was what he showed me. He explained it in conjunction with the 'glowplug' when we had to change them out one winter. Because the engine block is so cold in the winter, the motor has heating rods in them to help warm up the engine so that when you turn over the motor (with the electric starter) the heat doesn't get absorbed by the engine block which doesn't allow it to accomplish an "adiabatic compression".

I remember being so blown away by it. Like it altered my perspective of science. Of course I was only 12 or so at the time.

There was all sorts of science to learn both on the farm and on the tractor trailer, and my father was never short on explaining it all.

[nvrnlumby]

I don't know how i got here and spent 3 hours watching these videos but I feel smarter now.