What could have caused a violent reaction between 2 store-bought pool chlorine brands? | AskScience Blog

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Tuesday, September 25, 2018

What could have caused a violent reaction between 2 store-bought pool chlorine brands?

What could have caused a violent reaction between 2 store-bought pool chlorine brands?


What could have caused a violent reaction between 2 store-bought pool chlorine brands?

Posted: 25 Sep 2018 04:40 AM PDT

A Tale of Two Chlorines

Can someone please explain why I had a sturdy plastic bucket literally explode into fragments when I mixed 2 different brands of pool chlorine together? I've never seen something explode like that when exposed to open air.

So what I would normally do is mix the chlorine with pool water and then pour everything into the pool, no problem.

One day we switched chlorine brands, so I poured the last little bit of the original chlorine into the bucket (there might have been a little water in the bucket to begin with) and topped up with the new chlorine. I noticed vapor coming off the mixture almost immediately as I started mixing. The reaction started bubbling and boiling and within about 10 seconds, the mixture started putting out a thick yellow cloud. This was when I knew I had to GTFO, mainly to avoid breathing in any of the noxious fumes. I can't quite remember if I was going to call someone or to get water to dilute the mixture.

I turned around and started walking and as I turned a corner about 5 meters away from where the bucket was left standing, I heard an incredibly loud bang and saw pieces of the red bucket fly past me and land in the pool and on the lawn over 10 meters away. There was literally nothing left at ground zero other than a few white stains from the powder. It was a really powerful explosion.

This happened quite some years ago when I used to look after the pool at home, so the details may be a bit sketchy. I've always thought about that incident, what if I hadn't moved away? I could have been permanently blinded, or developed some kind of respiratory issue, possibly even hearing damage?

P.S. the brands were HTH and Clarity in that order (i think)

There was no outside contamination that I know of.

Edit: Thanks for the replies and explanations so far. I'm glad I'm not the only one surprised/confused by this. Just a couple things, This was a long time ago like I said, so it might not have bubbled for 10 seconds, the gas might have been green instead of yellow, etc. All I know for sure is that it was loud, it started raining red plastic bits, there was definitely no lid on the bucket and that there were 2 brands of chlorine in a bucket.

submitted by /u/PixelCortex
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How exactly is unused breast milk absorbed back into the bloodstream?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 05:56 PM PDT

I read somewhere that whatever milk is left in the breast after weaning gets absorbed back into the body. But what exactly is happening there? How is the body able to absorb nutrients without involving the digestive tract?

I hope these are not extraordinarily dumb questions. I only have middle school level background in biology (and most other things).

submitted by /u/Massenstein
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In the quantum chemistry model why don't the negatively charged electrons fly into the positively charged nucleus?

Posted: 25 Sep 2018 06:25 AM PDT

In the Bohr-Rutherford model it makes sense why they wouldn't because it's just like why the planets in our solar system don't fly into the sun. But, in quantum chemistry you have stuff like P orbitals which look like 8's in which 1 electron is found in each loop so they dont rotate around the nucleus completely. Why don't they make contact with the nucleus?

submitted by /u/Phobac07
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How do scientists manage to find the exact masses of different atoms when then they were first discovered?

Posted: 25 Sep 2018 02:37 AM PDT

What happens when a nebula made of non-simple molecules begins accretion?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 03:50 PM PDT

For example, the area designated W3(OH) is a nebula of primarily methyl alcohol. What happens when angular momentum begins an accretion disk? I thought hydrogen and helium would create a nursery for new stars, but in the case of other molecules does a protostar form, or what happens next?

submitted by /u/obsidianhoax
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If you have a family history of cancer, are you at risk for cancer in general or just the type of cancer(s) your relative(s) had?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 02:58 PM PDT

So for instance, my aunt had breast cancer. As a male, my risk of getting breast cancer is still relatively low. However, does that also mean I am more likely to get any type?

submitted by /u/Boba3964
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When was the last time molten lava was naturally present on the surface in the continental USA?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 11:56 AM PDT

I know the lower 48 states have lots of volcanoes, particularly on the west coast, and there have even been some relatively recent eruptions (most famously Mount St. Helens). But to my knowledge, those recent eruptions have been explosive gas and ash, not lava. The presence of massive ancient lava flows in states like Idaho and New Mexico indicate that volcanoes with lava do exist in these though.

Basically, what I'm wanting to know is when the last time there was a Hawaiian-style eruption with flowing lava, and/or molten lava present on the surface, even if not part of a major eruption -- there's not a place like this in the continental USA currently, right?

submitted by /u/xj20
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Is a sound’s volume tied to its range?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 01:52 PM PDT

In other words could you make something be heard from farther while maintaining the original volume. Also does an increase in volume always mean it will be heard from farther ? And could you make a speaker that is the same volume from every distance ?

submitted by /u/citationcrustacean
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How a Doppler ultrasound works?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 05:58 PM PDT

It's possible to build up a homemade Doppler ultrasound?

submitted by /u/Pkt27
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In a galaxy, how much gas and dust would have to be present to prevent being about to see out of the galaxy in the visible spectrum?

Posted: 25 Sep 2018 01:27 AM PDT

As I understand it, we're unable to see across tongue other side of the Milky Way at least partially because there is too much gas and dust in the way. If the solar system were deeper into the galaxy where there's more dust and gas, or if the galaxy were less flat, could there ever be enough dust and gas to prevent us from seeing out of the galaxy entirely?

submitted by /u/Lindvaettr
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How do various vitamins/minerals actually get used in our body?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 10:31 AM PDT

Like on a physiological level, how does the zinc, vitamin C (or D, B's, etc), or whatever else actually work? How do they get used by our cells? Please drop some knowledge on whichever vitamin/mineral you can shed some light on!

submitted by /u/heterosapient
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What is the difference between radiation that transfers heat and the radiation that we associate with radioactive substances?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 08:11 AM PDT

So I learned in class that radiation is a form of heat transfer. Is this difference than say, the radiation from nuclear explosions?

submitted by /u/Lapoon
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What do we know about ancient gut microbiomes?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 07:47 AM PDT

I know that we are just starting work on understanding the differences between gut microbiomes among modern populations. How much work has been done on sequencing the traces of gut microbiomes in ancient latrines?

Do we know anything at all about the gut microbiomes of Neanderthals?

submitted by /u/Prufrock451
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Would Outer Space be an effective coolant?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 09:20 PM PDT

As opposed to something like nanofluids or liquid nitrogen, or even helium 3/4. I know that outer space is cold. (2.7K) But you also cant pump it around, and sometimes external radiation is a problem. I know the ISS uses radiators to get rid of its waste heat, but it doesn't have large reactor and doesn't use much power, let alone all that it uses. Basically, if you were going to put a ridiculously hot reactor on a giant space ship, would it make more sense to have outer space just cool it off for you than to use something else? What would be the advantage/disadvantages of using space to cool your reactor?

submitted by /u/Poopallah
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Dating in archeology and geology depend largely on the fact that there are layers of earth/ice. Is the earth getting bigger as these layers are added?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 12:19 PM PDT

What gives Polyester it's useful properties?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 01:48 PM PDT

I know that when Polyester is made into fabrics, the stretching forces the molecules into parallel patterns, giving the material more tensile strength, etc. What I want to know specifically: Why is it shatterproof? Why is it hydrophobic?

submitted by /u/EvilsConscience
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Why does red print appear to move on a blue background?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 07:09 AM PDT

Why is smoke seemingly unaffected by gravity?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 11:57 AM PDT

Why is the polio vaccine still needed in the US?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 06:27 AM PDT

Was doing some research and just want to understand. Polio is only transmitted through fecal matter getting into someone else mouth - either infected food, water, etc.

Do we not have enough technological advances on food and water cleanliness that the vaccine is merely not needed any more? The only places that seem to still have polio (at a very low rate at that) are places where cleanliness can be hard to come by.

Apparently the vaccine is only 95% effective, and 5% of people it is administered to will not be truly 'safe' from getting Polio, but still there are no reported cases in the Americas since 1991.

Averaging 4 million births a year in the US from 1994 to now is 96 million people, 4.8 of which would not have the vaccine being effective. Still no cases. So why is the vaccine needed?

submitted by /u/Theoneandonlyprizm
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What are the Hessdalen lights?

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 01:31 PM PDT

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