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RE: [OM] OT Magicube flash bulbs

Subject: RE: [OM] OT Magicube flash bulbs
From: "John Wheeler" <wheelej@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 09:26:21 +1000
Excellent, Andrew. Many thanks.
John.

Andrew L Wendelborn wrote:

                          Magicubes:

     The light comes from a chemical combustion within the cube's
bulbs.   Each  of the four bulbs contains several inches of  wire
made  of zirconium,  a flammable metal used in nuclear  reactors.
This  wire  floats unattached in an atmosphere  of  pure  oxygen.
When  the  shutter clicks,  it raises a small plastic stick  that
relases  a  spring inside the magicube.   The  spring,  in  turn,
strikes  a metal anvil in the cube's base.   Friction  from  this
impact  ignites the phosphorous coating on the anvil and sets the
zirconium on fire.  Oxygen fuels the flame immediately, producing
a flash of white light.   Within only 25-thousandths of a second,
the  flash  is over.   The blue coating on the cube  filters  the
flash's light so that it simulates normal daylight.

     Zirconium  has a melting point of 1750`C.   NEVER touch  the
cube as the flash is being set off.

at this (slightly weird) site:
http://www.csonline.net/bpaddock/mra/mra4wk.htm

Interesting.

Andrew


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