Guy sticks his hand in -346 ℉ liquid nitrogen, will it freeze off

6 years ago
12

WARNING DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME
Brent the cameraman and machinist uses liquid nitrogen quite often in his line of work. He uses it for shrinking parts to enable them to be pressed into other pieces of equipment much easier than using a hydraulic press or heavy hammers.
Liquid nitrogen can be a very dangerous liquid if not respected.
The temperature of liquid nitrogen can readily be reduced to its freezing point of −346 °F by placing it in a vacuum chamber pumped by a vacuum pump. Liquid nitrogen's efficiency as a coolant is limited by the fact that it boils immediately on contact with a warmer object, enveloping the object in insulating nitrogen gas. This effect, known as the Leidenfrost effect, applies to any liquid in contact with an object significantly hotter than its boiling point.
This Leidenfrost effect also is the reason the super cooled liquid does not burn Brent's skin on contact.

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