In this video, the high explosive nitroglycerin is synthesized. It is then detonated in two different ways. Nitroglycerin is the active ingredient in dynamite and has applications in medicine. A significant shock will cause it to detonate. The stack of paper which was destroyed by the final, large reaction was a copy of the USA PATRIOT act. While others were debating burning the burning of Qur'ans, we were celebrating our freedom on the anniversary of 9/11/2001 by blowing up a true threat to it. The nitric acid was made following the synthesis in one of our earlier videos on Youtube. Sulfuric acid can be bought as a brand of liquid drain cleaner, and 99.5% glycerin can be bought as "skin protectant" from Wal-Mart. Sodium bicarbonate is common baking soda. Sulfuric and nitric acids are both very caustic and toxic. Nitroglycerin is a powerful explosive which is quite shock sensitive. It can be absorbed into the body through vapors and skin contact and causes severe headaches known as "NG head." Perform this experiment outdoors. Always wear gloves and goggles. Avoid breathing any fumes. The following is very important: do not drop your flask of nitroglycerin! There are two important things we would do differently next time and recommend that you do as well. First, we would pour the reaction mixture into a larger quantity of colder water. The exothermic solvation of the acids increased the temperature to a point very close to where nitroglycerin begins to decompose. Second, we would have used a second water bath to further reduce the acidity of the nitroglycerin. This would have made the sodium bicarbonate rinse go smoother. The reactions seen here are: C3H8O3 (l) + 3*HNO3 (l) → C3H5N3O9 (l) + 3*H2O (l) (catalyzed by large amounts of H2SO4 (l)) 4*C3H5N3O9 (l) → 6*N2 (g) + O2 (g) + 12*CO2 (g) + 10*H2O (g)