• Question: Can explosions bend around corners?

    Asked by lilygrainger to Anouk, Chris, Judith, Leisha, Seyyed on 13 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Chris Kettle

      Chris Kettle answered on 13 Jun 2012:

      Dont know – probably not. The explosion itself sends out energy in straight lines but these can be affected by gravity and collisions so debris may go round corners a little. Thats probably who you see people in films hiding behind corners to escape the blast.

    • Photo: Judith Sleeman

      Judith Sleeman answered on 13 Jun 2012:

      I think the shock-waves from an explosion can be deflected from objects, a bit like light bouncing off a mirror, so could conceivably take quite a complex path, but my physics is a little rusty. I hope I’ll never need to know for sure!

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