I have heard that an explosion can best be summed up as energy trying to stabilize itself. Is this true?

Answer 1

i would say an explosion is the RAPID release of a gas or gasses having a greater volume than the initial components.

for example a couple drops of gasoline and a few cubic inches of air produce many times the volume if hot gas.

Now the question, is this an explosion? It supposed to be a slow burning. A diesel engine, on the other hand DETONATES the fuel air mixture.

But to answer your question more directly, the FORCE of an explosion is a result of the pressure of the gasses expanding to equalixe with atmospheric pressure.

The speed of an explosion is called BRISANCE. Military explosives are charactorized by very high brisance, or shock. Working explosives, like prill or dynamite release their energy more slowly, giving more pushing force in a hard-rock mine, for example.

So an explosion may be charactorized as the SUDDEN release of high pressure gas. My most common explosive experience: making POPCORN.