> chemistry > métaux-alcalins > making-cesium-on-a-barbecue-thunderf00t

Making Cesium on a Barbecue!

Thunderf00t - 2014-03-26

So for a while now I've been examining why the alkali metals explode when they come into contact with water.

Turns out that cesium is quite an interesting element to study like this, however it's also almost prohibitively expensive.  Cesium Chloride however is a fraction of the cost.  If only there was a 'simple' way of converting that cesium chloride into metallic cesium!

Many thanks to those who supported this video through Patreon!
http://www.patreon.com/Thunderf00t

raijinmeister - 2015-09-23

Thundef00t neighbors.
" he is on the BBQ grill,run to the shelter!"

I- - 2014-03-26

If Cesium can be acquired in a cheap way like this, what keeps it expensive?

Michael - 2017-06-07

Yog Sothoth Never thought of that. I've been fascinated by how the NaK drops can go transparent right before they explode.

Michael - 2017-06-07

David Canfield The reason its so cheap is because fully 1% of the atmosphere is argon.

David Canfield - 2017-06-07

I learnt something new also what was I smoking when I wrote that comment 😂😂😂

Michael - 2017-06-07

DutchGabbers I would count on that. If you want to play with cesium get a chem degree so you know what you are doing. Even then it's a bitch and an accident is a very real possibility. I want to replicate this protocol but I always do my chemistry with the expectation of an accident. That way they very rarely happen and if they do it's not catastrophic.

MasterP48HD - 2017-07-17

it reacts with sand (when heated) but not with glass, i suspect it may have something to do with surface area

FunkyHonkyCDXX - 2014-03-26

Low budget science FTW!

Onkledonk - 2014-04-03

@***** Why a lumber jack? Why not a scientist!

Onkledonk - 2014-04-03

@***** l:3

Bass-D C - 2014-10-28

@*****

Loved the way you revealed your trolling :D
Well apearently TF wanted to be Tarzan with an axe.

The imagery is strong with this one. I aplaud you ::: D

Alex May - 2016-12-07

DastardlyDawkins no one noticed your name. wow

frost squad - 2017-09-01

DastardlyDawkins c

It's Mister Scruffles! - 2014-03-26

Now I'm imagining Thunderfoot saying "Jesse, we have to cook!"

Sven Oostenbrink - 2014-03-26

Oh Thunderfoot, please? Just a 5 second video!

David Fischer - 2014-03-26

I wonder if Thunderfoot made all those videos about atheism and feminism just to get a big fanbase to show all these experiments to.

MikeOfKorea - 2014-03-26

He started out making videos countering creationist lies, I think.  That's how I found him.

Mita Ultramega - 2014-03-26

It worked and these are awesome.

Keta - 2014-03-26

Yeah I don't mind either way, I find all his videos entertaining be it owning creationists or doing some amazing science. Thunderf00t is awesome, so glad I found his channel

A. Wilson - 2014-03-26

Well the science focussed videos used to go onto the Beauty in the Universe channel didn't they? I assume they just weren't getting the exposure they deserved so it just made sense to move them onto the TF channel.

Jedi Squid 1 - 2017-04-22

David Fischer W O K E

TheAmmoniacal - 2014-03-26

"Would you like to see more?" What stupid question is that.

NaN - 2014-03-26

It's a rhetorical question

TheAmmoniacal - 2014-03-26

With a rhetorical reply.

Kevin Sullivan - 2014-03-26

I think I just watched an alchemist turning base metal into gold.
Or a metal more valuable than gold.
Greek fire.

Snarfindorf - 2014-03-26

Sounds like a load of bullshit. 

Yotrymp - 2014-03-26

Making a base metal into gold is possible, but extremely expensive and impractical at this time.

ANDELE3025 - 2014-03-27

@TSyoutubin
Also lets not forget that to get a teaspoon of gold (from other metals without tricks) with our current investment in science equipment we would need to live longer than the more sophisticated dinosaurs (which if my memory is correct is about 50 times the current existence of the human race; ~100 mil vs ~2 mil).

Carter Cole - 2015-12-12

I love that you made fools of mythbusters and sixty symbols for saying "its already known". thanks for doing science

James Beland - 2016-04-25

Mythbusters did a lot of things that were already known, but put it out for exposure so that people who watched their shows understood why. They also did things by suggestion, rather than personal research (at first).

Dave Power #6 - 2014-03-27

Thunderf00t's epitaph - His experiment was figuratively, and shortly thereafter literally, mind blowing.

Snowcat1970 - 2014-03-31

@Thunderf00t You understand that you have now entered the realm of mad scientists, do you???? Or was it angry scientists???
Great clip and cool reactions.

Snickerdoodle - 2014-03-29

So, basically, you blow things up with the goal of explaining a chemical phenomenon that, by all rights, should not be possible. This is your passion, something you love to do. And, being part of academia, you are paid handsomely to do so.
Oooh, thunderf00t, you sonofabitch. I am simultaneously green with envy and filled with this warm, fuzzy feeling of happiness for you.

TheSinfultictac - 2014-03-29

alchemists would be so jelly of your ability to change metals

TheSinfultictac - 2014-03-31

O_o what

Gwen Wall - 2014-04-02

@TheSinfultictac Have.. Have you not seen the ads? Try Margrets new healing balm DOCTORS HATE HER. No? Just me that gets those damned fcking ads?

ukeuwatch - 2014-04-03

@Ben Wall This one weird trick will get rid of them.

TheSinfultictac - 2014-04-03

I was speaking more on the level that when Alchemy was a thing, distillation of metals was one of their jobs. But I get the joke now.  Thunderfoots new trick makes it so you never have go to the Alchemist again! 

Bass-D C - 2014-10-28

@Ben Wall
Alchemists hate him.
The cesium industry wants him dead.
But he still lives on to cook some me...cesium for you.
THUNDERFOOT! (Beware of the Bunny)

BansheeBomb - 2014-03-26

I have no idea what's going on but Thunderf00t's voice is very calming so I'm watching it anyways.

Gamesux - 2014-10-10

Is this the new Braking Bad? xD

Brett - 2016-12-16

Nice little shout out from cody

Dynamic League - 2014-03-27


Before I saw how expensive it was I thought a large scale cesium bomb would be interesting but I guess it wold be like throwing a bomb made of gold at the enemy.

Pixel Cat - 2014-03-26

Science is cool.

haiggoh - 2014-03-26

@*****
duh, captain obvious. Do you really think someone with that flag as an avatar will fell insulted by being called a commie?

Anamnesia - 2014-03-26

It's a good day when Thunderf00t releases a chemistry video!  :)

Texas Jack - 2016-12-16

Cody sent me. Subscribed!

Owen Major - 2016-12-16

Hope you understand that most of his videos are about feminism and such.

Texas Jack - 2016-12-16

Owen Major, it all looks like chemistry to me.

Owen Major - 2016-12-16

I was exaggerating a bit, he has made alot more science videos as of recent. But still, look at his last 20 uploads, 10 of them are political/feminism videos, 50%. And about a year ago almost every video was political/feminism/Anita Sakresian, very rare to get a chem video, just look at his videos page.

Texas Jack - 2016-12-16

Those vids are ultimately about chemistry too (that's what I meant--I was trying to be silly, but failed.)

Gordon Freeman - 2016-12-18

Welcome aboard, the science here is top notch with quite a bit of neck xD.

MOE-GUNZ-JACKSON - 2014-03-27

Soon this channel will turn into a version of Bill Nye the Science Guy show. Time to come up with a name Thunderf00t.

MastaGwee - 2014-03-27

Next time on the TF Science Show: How to make Meth like Breaking Bad!

GuzzleGulp - 2014-09-07

Backyard science at its best

ZergrushEddie - 2014-03-30

Interesting lesson on the "heterogeneous reaction" bit; I was really quite curious why the reactions of alkali metals in water was being studied. Would ground or very fine cesium react faster in water like the gunpowder analogy?

DavySigfusson - 2014-03-26

I loved this!

Would also love to see you actually make enough cesium to fund the project :D

LokyNoKey - 2014-04-18

   I wish that some day all governments cut all spending on military and spend it on science instead. But that will never happen.

Hi Orwell - 2014-04-27

I urge you to learn about The Zeitgeist Movement and if you're into futurism, The Venus Project

Bass-D C - 2014-10-28

@Hi Orwell
The Zeitgeist (german btw for Timeghost) movement has some major flaws.
Sorry but these flaws are way to dramatic to be overlooked.

On PentaMaker:
At least on a 1:1 ratio.
Or maybe look into the taxes that churches save... and rethink what they give to society vs Science.

Hi Orwell - 2014-10-29

@Bass-D C
True, but some of the bigger important ideas it proposes hold credibility, and perhaps even validity, when looked at from contexts outside of the movement.
I'd still say it's worth not discrediting everything that comes out of TZM solely because of criticism specific to certain aspects.

Bass-D C - 2014-11-01

@Hi Orwell
true but it is safe to take everything with a little bit of salt, when it is known that some flaws exist.
It is just much more safe to check these arguments for validity before publicly making it worth to be concidered a goal to be acchieved in the future.

Ja-Shwa Cardell - 2014-04-24

Hey thunderf00t, may I ask a few questions about this?
If I interpreted your video correctly, you are using the BBQ to both provide the activation energy, and to boil away the cesium, and, since both lithium and lithium chloride have higher boiling points than cesium, they stay in the container while the cesium vapor flats into the other container where it condenses into a liquid.

So, this reaction could also be applied to any combination of alkali metal and halogen that fits the criteria of the one your trying to distill having a lower boiling point than the other?

Also, how exactly did you get rid of the air in the container? I would imagine that if any air were left in there it would violently react with the cesium, so how did you ensure compete 100% atmosphere replacement?

Thanks for this video, and cheers!

Maven Dissector - 2014-03-26

You are the ultimate chemist badass on youtube.

Bunny Zilla - 2014-03-26

SORCERY !
PREPARE THE BURNING FOR THE SORCERER !

Antis - 2014-03-26

0:59
Thunderfoot: It can't happen, its a mystery
Me: I know why it happens!
Thunderfoot: Really? Why please tell me? I'm really curious!
Me: God!
Thunderfoot: * SPLAT! *(Gets killed by his own facepalm)
Me: Hey dude I was trolling you ok?
Thunderfoot: ....

deektedrgg - 2014-03-26

Things I learned in this video: Make my own cocaine.
Seriously though, very interesting video. Reminds me of chemistry class experiments, before the mol calculations completely ruined my chemistry grades.

Twizzlers 56 - 2018-02-10

Considering I’m taking chemistry right now, it’s not really as bad as people say xD

LavenderElephant - 2014-03-26

Okay, Tfoot, the whole thing is awesome, but the best part of this video was using the hair dryer to stoke the coals!

MikeOfKorea - 2014-03-26

Some of my English students are chemistry majors, so I told them about this video.  It won't be easy to understand the English, but I think they will be able to follow well enough.

Sean Warman - 2014-03-28

Is it just me or did that look kinda like the beginning of a meth lab. Well I guess in a pinch when you build your own equipment it all kinda looks the same.

tjpld - 2014-03-26

No gloves?

Thunderf00t - 2014-03-26

gloves are a mixed blessing in handling things like cesium.  For minor splashes, they will help, but the reality is cesium will melt through rubber almost instantly, leaving molten rubber and cesium in contact with your skin.  The added dexterity of no gloves and care is your friend here.  
-I've generally found that no gloves and care (I got lucky in this video with that unexpected drop of cesium) is the best way of handling these metals (experience bought through a LOT of handling this metal, and several burns). Getting these metals wet is usually the biggest risk.  You can feel if your hand is wet... an ability you lose when you when you put on gloves.

tjpld - 2014-03-26

@Thunderf00t What about kevlar gloves? They should be pretty flame resistant and easy to take off (compared to rubber gloves), when things go bad.  Dexterity should also be pretty good.

xxhellspawnedxx - 2014-03-27

@Thunderf00t
Do you really use rubber gloves in any capacity when handling volatile compounds, anyhow? Sounds to me like asking for trouble. I mean, strong acids and bases will eat through those just as effectively as burning alkali metals, won't they? As tjpld said, what about kevlar (or other flame-retardant material) gloves instead?

tjpld - 2014-03-27

Gloves for handling corosive substances are often "rubber" gloves. I used them myself in a lab. Of course they are not like medical latex gloves.

123Comrade - 2016-12-17

Prepare for some people coming over from Cody's channel :D

jaswik - 2018-02-15

"the grill to keep the coals physically away" LMFAO

Noface - 2014-03-27

You always make chemistry more fun.

Jeff Lebowski - 2014-04-04

As a recently-declared chem major, this is really exciting to me!

taos treror - 2014-10-27

0:58 AH the cheer of an experiment outcome squaring up to theory! Nice one!

warspite1995 - 2014-03-26

yay i get to see my favourite elements :D

Anton Helsgaun - 2017-01-11

The reaction breaks the metal

Ultra Sabers - 2014-03-26

So can you sell the Cesium and make a profit doing this?

Cresc Endo - 2014-06-16

God damn, I was just thinking this same thing.

Brian Wyters - 2018-01-14

I think the transportation cost would be high, as cesium is incredibly reactive. In addition, who do you know that would want cesium?

Alex Potts - 2018-01-27

Well that's another reason why caesium (forgive the spelling, I'm British) is so expensive. There isn't a mass-market for it so you don't get the economies of scale you would get from making it in industrial quantities.

MaxIsANerd - 2018-07-14

25 for 50g CsCl, sell the 40 ish grams for 500 bucks, pretty healthy profit margin. But it's dangerous, and storage and shipping is hard, so probably shouldn't do it.

Vivi mannequin - 2018-08-11

Who in their right mind (and isn't into chemistry or metals) would buy it?

bakonfreek - 2014-03-26

Welp, time for me to make some cesium. brb, blowing myself up on accident.

vgamesx1 - 2016-08-18

Wow that was amazing, right at 1:40 an incredibly loud boom from thunder came by which gave the video a nice effect.

TheUnchainedMind - 2014-04-10

I've had a big grin on my face the whole way through.
Awesome!!! :D

Jonathan Midtgaard Jensen - 2016-03-31

Love this intro! :D

Warhawk76 - 2016-12-19

I also came over from Cody's Lab, awesome stuff here! You earned a sub from me and I look forward to watching more of your content.

snebic7 - 2016-05-13

without context this video seems like thunderfoot is teaching us how to make drugs

Cameron McAllister - 2016-05-27

Walter Fright.

Jaques1232 - 2014-03-26

Awesome stuff! Love it!

hand banana - 2016-04-16

thunderf00t not going to lie you have the job I wanted as a kid, chemistry is fascinating.