One of My Favorite Shows. Part II

The Mythbusters did prove plausible of this experiment in a small scale, but now they use a bigger container to make “doubly sure.” Using a 10 liter glass container, about the size of a small fish tank, the Mythbusters place plastic and about 20 antacid pills inside. It works, but the Mytbusters, being as they are, take it to the next level and double the amount of tablets to from 20 to 40. The 40 tablets of antacid only produce 40 psi, which is not what they expect to happen. The amount of pressure is only doubling by 80%. They conclude that the size of the container does affect the pressure.

            The Mythbusters decide to move on to the actual-scale experiment. They start out with 22000 antacid tablets. While setting up the experiment, Adam tells us that when the tablets react with water, one of its byproducts is carbon monoxide, so there’s a high risk of suffocation. Luckily, Buster, their test dummy, is there to take safety precautions. With the 22000 tablets combined with 350 gallons of water, they’d thought it would work, but a small leak was detected, and the experiment had to be redone. The source of the leak was coming from the sink and the toilet installed within the cell. They had to “eliminate the variables” to make sure another leak would not occur. They decide to go “the extra mile” and do something that wouldn’t be realistic in a jail environment. This time, they 72000 antacid tablets plus 28000 store-bought tablets adding up to the 100000 tablets they decide to use.

            Jamie explains that the problem with this experiment is that we don’t know when or if it’s going to go off. For safety, they stay behind a thick glass shield and watch the experiment from meters away. In the end, the experiment is successful; it does pry open the door of the cell. Unfortunately, no human could survive the pressure being produced by the carbon monoxide expanding inside the plastic. Buster, the test dummy, was crushed. If the pressure could bend a steel door hinge, it could indeed press a human to death.  

            In the overall conclusion of the “Antacid Jailbreak” myth, Adam and Jamie declare it “BUSTED.” First, there would be a leak (from the sink or toilet), letting the pressure escape. Second, the amount of antacid tablets is most likely not realistic in a jailed environment. Third, the pressure needed to burst open the jail door would definitely crush the inmate to death.

            Adam and Jamie didn’t seem to have remaining questions about this experiment, and neither did I. It seemed to have explained itself in the end. It was pretty funny to watch, too.