ATTN: Chemistry majors: Couldn't the terrorists take a chunk of potassium onto a plane and blow a hole...?

Question

in the fuselage with some sort of makeshift water/potassium reactive bomb, causing the plane to go down? What size chunk would you need? Is there a more reactive element (I can't remember my periodic chart)?

Yeah, I'm trying to give them ideas. I think that Al Queda has a terrorist cell culling forums on the internet for ideas right now, and after years of searching, they've finally found their next plan of attack...

Answer 1

The size of the metal would be dependant on many factors such as plane design and location of the explosion to name a few.

the problem with elemental rare earth metals is they are very reactive with water, making handling them in such a manner virtually impossible.

As far as the realative reactivity, the ammount of energy released can be calculated from the Gibbs free energy for each reaction.

For the reaction of sodium with water at room tempreture

Sodium with enough water would release 9260 KJ per pound of sodium while Potassium would release 2350 KJ per pound.

I would suspect that at least 10 pounds of sodium to do any significant damage to a plane and 50 pounds of potassium.

This is a very unreasonable amount, although the cost would be less than 1000 dollars for this ammount of sodium, there are very few places that a large quantity could be obtained.

Additionally, sodium is so reactive, that I do not think that anyone could ever get it onto a plane before it blew. Lastly, that large of an ammount of sodium would fill a carry on bag, and would never get thru even the worst of TSA screeners.

Answer 2

It's impractical

To make such a bomb, you'd need metal because the glass would fragment and the resulting shrapnel wouldn't have enough kinetic energy. Such a bomb would be rather heavy and it would be caught by airline security personnel. Keep in mind that the 9/11 attackers had razor blades, nothing larger or heavier than that.

Also, how would you store the potassium/sodium before detonation? You can't leave it in air or it will develop an oxide coating and that will substantially stall the kinetics of the water reaction you need. You can't have it in oil and then combine it with water, because oil and water don't mix. The oil will form micelles and surround the potassium/sodium, which will also slow the reaction down.

Answer 3

you may want to reword it from "indignant Muslim" to "indignant Extremist religious Nut with the objective to terrorize human beings to make a fact". ^_~ keep in mind that in basic terms because some Taliban that in order that take position to be Muslim killed diverse human beings, it does not recommend human beings of different religions do not do an same less than different motives... [cough]Oklahoma[/cough] ^_~ After the 9/11 activities, airport protection has tighten everywhere in the globe. that is going to deter terrorists, in spite of the indisputable fact that it received't assure it. there'll continually be human mistakes. the prospect that something like which will take position back is accessible, yet truly not likely or perhaps with the actuality that, the airport protection contained in the united states of a considering that 9/11 has been large air-tight. surely, I continually tell those who it really is a nightmare flying from Canada into the united states of a or from elsewhere into the united states of a. the protection there is nice-notch. scary even.

Answer 4

yes they could with like a baseball size and i think sodium is reactive but more potassium. have fun on the plane

Answer 5

Why would you put a question like this on here. are you trying to give those jerks ideas? do you want our country destroyed??? whats wrong with you?