Comments on: From the Lab: Breaking Bad, Chemistry Good https://scriptphd.com/chemistry/2009/06/02/from-the-lab-breaking-bad-chemistry-good/ Elemental expertise. Flawless plots. Wed, 30 Apr 2014 09:25:39 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.3.2 By: glasspusher https://scriptphd.com/chemistry/2009/06/02/from-the-lab-breaking-bad-chemistry-good/#comment-4788 <![CDATA[glasspusher]]> Wed, 30 Apr 2014 09:25:39 +0000 https://scriptphd.com/?p=173#comment-4788 <![CDATA[Yay to Gwynn and Chemist! Anode and cathode refer to what the electrode is doing, not their polarity- removing and donating electrons to the inside of the device, respectively. Mercury fulminate is relatively stable, perhaps Admin had it confused with silver fulminate, which is much more shock and scratch sensitive.]]> <![CDATA[

Yay to Gwynn and Chemist! Anode and cathode refer to what the electrode is doing, not their polarity- removing and donating electrons to the inside of the device, respectively. Mercury fulminate is relatively stable, perhaps Admin had it confused with silver fulminate, which is much more shock and scratch sensitive.

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By: Gwyn https://scriptphd.com/chemistry/2009/06/02/from-the-lab-breaking-bad-chemistry-good/#comment-4757 <![CDATA[Gwyn]]> Fri, 01 Nov 2013 01:31:26 +0000 https://scriptphd.com/?p=173#comment-4757 <![CDATA[They actually DIDN'T get anode and cathode mixed up. The anode is not positive in a discharging battery, only in a recharging one.]]> <![CDATA[

They actually DIDN’T get anode and cathode mixed up. The anode is not positive in a discharging battery, only in a recharging one.

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By: raf https://scriptphd.com/chemistry/2009/06/02/from-the-lab-breaking-bad-chemistry-good/#comment-4620 <![CDATA[raf]]> Sun, 30 Dec 2012 02:43:41 +0000 https://scriptphd.com/?p=173#comment-4620 <![CDATA[Top Walter White moments 6. Dissolved body in hydrofluoric acid 5. Made raison poison out of castor beans 4. Used water and shaved match striker strips to make deadly phosphine gas 3. Made battery out of galvanized coins,nuts & brake pads & potassium hydroxide 2. Wiped hard drive inside evidence room using a 252V electromagnet inside car 1. Used fulminated mercury (looks like meth, got through security) as explosive]]> <![CDATA[

Top Walter White moments

6. Dissolved body in hydrofluoric acid
5. Made raison poison out of castor beans
4. Used water and shaved match striker strips to make deadly phosphine gas
3. Made battery out of galvanized coins,nuts & brake pads & potassium hydroxide
2. Wiped hard drive inside evidence room using a 252V electromagnet inside car
1. Used fulminated mercury (looks like meth, got through security) as explosive

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By: Nick https://scriptphd.com/chemistry/2009/06/02/from-the-lab-breaking-bad-chemistry-good/#comment-4570 <![CDATA[Nick]]> Sun, 28 Oct 2012 13:59:22 +0000 https://scriptphd.com/?p=173#comment-4570 <![CDATA[I can confirm, having watched the episode in question an hour ago, that they mixed it up on the show. Walt definitely describes the cathode as the positive side of his cell, which is wrong. So, from A to F in one fell swoop! Let's hope nobody has followed those instructions and received a nasty shock!]]> <![CDATA[

I can confirm, having watched the episode in question an hour ago, that they mixed it up on the show. Walt definitely describes the cathode as the positive side of his cell, which is wrong. So, from A to F in one fell swoop! Let’s hope nobody has followed those instructions and received a nasty shock!

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By: admin https://scriptphd.com/chemistry/2009/06/02/from-the-lab-breaking-bad-chemistry-good/#comment-4538 <![CDATA[admin]]> Mon, 10 Sep 2012 02:54:33 +0000 https://scriptphd.com/?p=173#comment-4538 <![CDATA[I believe it was mixed up on the episode of the show. I'll have to rewatch it to see if the error was on our end. If so, we will correct it. Thanks!]]> <![CDATA[

I believe it was mixed up on the episode of the show. I’ll have to rewatch it to see if the error was on our end. If so, we will correct it. Thanks!

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By: jess pinkman https://scriptphd.com/chemistry/2009/06/02/from-the-lab-breaking-bad-chemistry-good/#comment-4537 <![CDATA[jess pinkman]]> Sat, 08 Sep 2012 16:49:29 +0000 https://scriptphd.com/?p=173#comment-4537 <![CDATA[You have anode (positive) and cathode (negative) mixed up in your description above.]]> <![CDATA[

You have anode (positive) and cathode (negative) mixed up in your description above.

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By: Rocky https://scriptphd.com/chemistry/2009/06/02/from-the-lab-breaking-bad-chemistry-good/#comment-4531 <![CDATA[Rocky]]> Sun, 12 Aug 2012 06:27:40 +0000 https://scriptphd.com/?p=173#comment-4531 <![CDATA[He definitely got the flow mixed up when he sad the current flows from positive to negative, however he could be using the common convention employed when drawing circuit diagrams. Since Benjamin Franklin initially guessed incorrectly we have been stuck with it and practically it doesn't really matter so I won't fault him for it.]]> <![CDATA[

He definitely got the flow mixed up when he sad the current flows from positive to negative, however he could be using the common convention employed when drawing circuit diagrams. Since Benjamin Franklin initially guessed incorrectly we have been stuck with it and practically it doesn’t really matter so I won’t fault him for it.

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By: Marie https://scriptphd.com/chemistry/2009/06/02/from-the-lab-breaking-bad-chemistry-good/#comment-4530 <![CDATA[Marie]]> Fri, 10 Aug 2012 02:46:03 +0000 https://scriptphd.com/?p=173#comment-4530 <![CDATA[I took HS chemistry a while ago, but I remember a little bit. But I don't understand why methylamine cannot be synthesized from methanol and ammonia. Can you explain it please?]]> <![CDATA[

I took HS chemistry a while ago, but I remember a little bit. But I don’t understand why methylamine cannot be synthesized from methanol and ammonia. Can you explain it please?

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By: admin https://scriptphd.com/chemistry/2009/06/02/from-the-lab-breaking-bad-chemistry-good/#comment-4526 <![CDATA[admin]]> Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:37:06 +0000 https://scriptphd.com/?p=173#comment-4526 <![CDATA[Steve K and Chemist -- You've both caught some pretty excellent flaws in the chemistry stories on Breaking Bad. What particularly bugged me was exactly what Chemist points out, that Walt likely would not have been able to even handle the fulminated mercury to begin with, let alone that the violence of the explosion was exactly exaggerated. Steve K -- It's been quite a while since I've seen the episode where they built the battery. I'd have to rewatch to see if he did indeed reverse the order of the electron flow.]]> <![CDATA[

Steve K and Chemist — You’ve both caught some pretty excellent flaws in the chemistry stories on Breaking Bad.

What particularly bugged me was exactly what Chemist points out, that Walt likely would not have been able to even handle the fulminated mercury to begin with, let alone that the violence of the explosion was exactly exaggerated.

Steve K — It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen the episode where they built the battery. I’d have to rewatch to see if he did indeed reverse the order of the electron flow.

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By: Chemist https://scriptphd.com/chemistry/2009/06/02/from-the-lab-breaking-bad-chemistry-good/#comment-4523 <![CDATA[Chemist]]> Mon, 30 Jul 2012 07:17:45 +0000 https://scriptphd.com/?p=173#comment-4523 <![CDATA[Mercury fulminate is not as sensitive as described here. Yes sparks, and flames will set it off. Scooping it with a knife or pouring it would more than likely not set it off. A hammer would set it off. If it were so unstable, it would never have found a use it the explosives industry. Unlike like nitrogen triiodide, which has no use and is so unstable you can't move it. Also, one wouldn't ever attempt to crystallize mercury fulminate as internal strains in the crystal will make it much more sensitive and impossible to handle.]]> <![CDATA[

Mercury fulminate is not as sensitive as described here. Yes sparks, and flames will set it off. Scooping it with a knife or pouring it would more than likely not set it off. A hammer would set it off. If it were so unstable, it would never have found a use it the explosives industry. Unlike like nitrogen triiodide, which has no use and is so unstable you can’t move it. Also, one wouldn’t ever attempt to crystallize mercury fulminate as internal strains in the crystal will make it much more sensitive and impossible to handle.

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