Mythbusters: Exploding cigarette lighter part 1

What could make a cigarette lighter explode? Adam and Jamie find out.

[@Tnenamrep2]

I love these early MythBusters episodes, and the simpler myths.

[@corncobjohnsonreal]

They were stupid back then and got a lot of obvious stuff wrong because they didn't know how much of the show was supposed to be fun, entertaining, or scientific, so they cut back on being scientifically thorough and a lot of these neat early myths ended up with bad testing and results. I wish they would have revisited literally every myth again but with a different approach, then do the same approach, then keep doing that a couple hundred times to be sure their results are true

[@johnnyholmes8840]

It was way better back then, the new ones, with whoever those guys are can never come close.

[@bigsmall246]

@@Canzandridas yea but they got some myths wrong, like "microwaving tap water doesn't cause superheating"

[@Trund27]

We need a reboot!!!!!!!

[@Fahrvergnugen]

I love it when Jamie starts chuckling when he blows something up.

[@Ward1706]

"The only thing that differentiates you and me and a couple of 14 year old pyromaniacs; is ballistic glass."

[@SheepdogSmokey]

I'll have you know, I'm 43.

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

@Reece Cristiano no one gives a shit. Why are you hacking your girlfriends Instagram? Piece of crap.

[@godzillasauris]

I love adams jokes🤣🤣🤣

[@kaitracksmalgom]

I’m 19 and if given the chance yes I might set something ablaze safely as possible

[@Ward1706]

Season prior. I’m old enough to remember watching them when they came out.

[@freakyskull516]

when i was a child i threw a lighter at the ground (concrete) as hard as i could and it exploded sending a sharp piece if plastic into my lip pulled it out, bled a little, lied to my mom about what happened to my lip, and went on with my day but it spooked me a little.

[@KamenRiderRaiden]

I taped one to a sledgehammer once and swung like i was at a "Test your strength" game..... fuckin thing took off like a rocket

[@kriss3829]

Thank god you didn’t lose an eye lmao

[@graemebarnes3445]

@@kriss3829 we used to burst them on peoples heads in class lol

[@williamtruett3480]

Bro once when I was playing video games my older brother grabbed a lighter and looked me in the eyes and said wanna play a game then proceeded to smash the lighter against my desk as hard as he could it exploded in his hand and a peace hit me then we laughed in pain

[@sumbigdumkunt]

@@graemebarnes3445 yeah I had a bloke throw his lighter across our factory and it landed on the supervisors hardhat, exploded and scared the absolute shit out of him. Was an amazing shot and boss man loved it

[@hornetscales8274]

Man, every time something goes up in smoke, or crashes spectacularly, or..... Adam is always the first to laugh about it. Absolutely wonderful show.

[@_just_another_filthy_redcoat]

Lol imagine walking around with a small bomb in your pocket - takes a pull on a vape -

[@froyocrew]

then pulls out samsung s9

[@JonthePurplePeopleEater]

Only lighter I've had explode on me was one I left out on the patio on a hot Arkansas summer went swimming, got out grabbed the hot lighter with a cold hand and boom plastic shrapnel in my shoulder lol.

[@Youtubecensoredmyusername]

Should of bought a bic instead of the Chinese translucent ones

[@JonthePurplePeopleEater]

@@KZbincensoredmyusername That was a bic lol.

[@princesscarl1656]

No lighter can deal with 90° plus 70% humidity, once it's been in a car all day. Let alone direct sun contact. Since it was a bic, you'd have been best just taking it while you swam. At least it wouldn't have blown up. Wouldn't have lit your cig though. A bic is meant for your pocket. Hawaiians definitely don't leave their lighters lying in the sun, why would you? Either way, lighters are meant for dry, room temperature areas. Like your pocket. They don't even work when it gets below 30° degrees. The butane will be too thick to combust. The slightest gust of air screws with them too. This is why Zippos are a thing. Since they don't use butane either, they use a form of grill lighter fluid, their combustion rates and temperatures are different. Butane is ungodly low to become gas. Around 50° does it. Isobutane would be likely a little higher. Alcohol is rather high. I think that's 120° or so.

[@TWBIAP]

@Hans Pebble if you wanna be technical its actually made from petroleum naphtha.

[@zackhall2681]

@@princesscarl1656 dude shut the fuck up. No one cares about your bullshit lighter research.

[@TWBIAP]

1:56 eh if you weld in flannel you deserve whats coming to you.

[@graemebarnes3445]

exactly. true welders wear nylon tracksuits

[@blackdragon6627]

@@graemebarnes3445 no true welders don't wear shirts

[@brandonlozano7158]

@@blackdragon6627 naw true welders don't wear skin

[@blackdragon6627]

@@brandonlozano7158 naw true welders use welds as skin

[@brandoncallahan9289]

@@blackdragon6627 naw welders true as skin use welds

[@malango255]

i've seen them explode multiple times, not just once. my friend dropped one once and it exploded just from being dropped.

[@Chevdriver]

-throw a lighter at a wall or something, they will also "explode" as kids we did it alot, kinda fun and also a good way to get rid of old lighters.

[@MyWeedIsVeryGood]

Not with fire though. The gas pops out. Which isn't technically an explosion unless it's ignited

[@DerMarkus1982]

@@MyWeedIsVeryGood Put a Z*ppo near it... 😉

[@Kara_Kay_Eschel]

In high school, while waiting for the buss to school, a buddy of mine had a lighter that was in the shape of a beer bottle. He dropped it, on purpose, and it "exploded".

[@katara520]

I had a lighter literally just explode on my bed I was right beside it I still have the hole in my bed from it

[@newbkiller123]

its easy to pop a lighter just dash it at the ground

[@MrSupercar55]

I can confirm this is 100% accurate.

[@-0__________________________0-]

mash

[@gp8666]

Thats what i did when i was a lil kid every time i found one 😂

[@chodeoriki4113]

Did this when I was like 12 and a part flew into my mates eye and I completely shat my pants. Luckily he was fine.

[@robertostler6733]

A friend and I were walking through a neighborhood late one night and someone's dog came running out of their garage right at us barking suddenly there was a pop right in front of the dog. My friend threw his lighter at the ground in front of the dog. Fuck me I though he was magical for a minute. The dog ran back to his home.

[@ostermanumbrellaco.7445]

I’m here watching this clip because this episode helped free a jailed innocent man after 35 years in prison. Thank you Mythbusters!

[@blakemitchell735]

How?

[@gotYOUR3s]

Its amazing that you can see the flame disappear and reignite in the same spot after the lighter is gone

[@tacomas9602]

just appreciating the fact someone uploaded all these videos. thanks

[@Grandmas_Table]

The "FORE!......3..2..1..." Countdown made me chuckle lol

[@AW-xt4lx]

Wear eye protection, welding safety 101. seriously though that's a bad example....

[@runardarriviarsson1092]

karl warren they were standing behind a glass wall

[@radihaydos95]

Runar I am fairly sure he was talking about a light shield so they don't damage there eyes from the bright light

[@chthaman]

He definitely were, its not only bad for your eyes because uv and that shit, it can also make your eyes hurt and feel like you have sand in them when it damages some layer in the eye and that shit sucks

[@nerfinator03]

Rúnar Darri Viðarsson now here's someone who knows his shit! Tempered glass filters a lot of rays. During one nuclear test some scientist wanted a better view of the initial explosion so he sat in his car behind the windshield.

[@deaths0xz]

Morty as long as you have safety glasses or something to block the rays you’ll never get a flash or that sand feeling in your eyes, as long as you’re protected you can stare as long as you want, it’ll just hurt to look at but won’t give your eyes a sunburn unless there’s direct contact

[@jazzscott9109]

I once was without an ashtray and needed both hands - so I laid down a disposable (flat) lighter and laid my lit cigarette across it...ermmmm..... "just for a moment",,, ...then forgot all about it till the cigarette melted a tiny pin-hole in the lighter and there was this "WHOOOSH!!!" as a four foot flame suddenly shot out ... scared the willies out of me!

[@scotts918]

5:57 - Jamie laughing is pure

[@paulvinco7185]

Lol, folding laundry while watching this and what did I pull out...a lighter. 🤪

[@patcholi3201]

was the dryer hot enough

[@LouSassoleSledgecock]

Wow!

[@bucky13]

If lighters exploded in the dryer i'd probably have to have mine insured..

[@patcholi3201]

@@bucky13 check coverage

[@ThreeXcore]

FOUR!!...three..two..one lol :)

[@SheepdogSmokey]

4:07 - Even when I first saw this, well before I was a firefighter, I knew that ambient heat, even at what a clothes dryer can produce, isn't going to work, the lighter would need to be damaged/defective, and somehow cause a spark, or the dryer would need to be damaged/defective and cause a spark, to provide ignition.

[@Supasavage69]

I’ve had one blow up by itself while laying on a dresser over night and blew two flames out both chambers on the side lol but hint don’t buy the cheap clear colored ones

[@TheShorts5555]

I've thrown plenty of lighters on fires before, but the interesting thing is they just pop. No explosion, no fireball. Just a small jet of flame if I'm lucky. What I do like though (and because I live in Aus, we can't get fireworks) is tie 15 or so sparklers around 1-2 lighters, then make a 'fuse' sparkler that I can light. Just throw it and watch, you'll get a nice bang and a shower of sparks

[@Myrkky100]

7:45 It's just so nice to see people who just really love their work :)

[@superstar5123]

the 2001: a space odyssey joke/reference was hilarious!

[@sleevelessace]

Adam probably all got those lighters from his car 😂😂😂

[@prodbybabygod7411]

Ima welder. Back pocket works wonders 🤣

[@ss-jg1te]

Thank you for the videos I know its a few years too late but these have brought alot of joy for my gf and niece :)

[@cralixthegameking4408]

Technically it does explode when they just hit it with the golf club do to the pressure more like a gas canister exploding there is just no fire

[@3starperfectdeer233]

I love how we all believed they were like the bestest besties but in reality they were annoyed by each

[@TheGary108]

Adam said in an interview that he respected Jamie and they were great coworkers but they just don’t have any more in common to be best friends.

[@Daggerpaw1]

They spent 12+ hours a day with each other most days on work projects for over a decade. I’m not surprised that they didn’t hang out after work.

[@nataliealphonse4634]

​@@Daggerpaw1 yeah no kidding, Jamie was literally Adams boss too. I don't dislike most of the bosses I've had but I can't say I exactly would have wanted to get beers with them after work y'know?

[@h.p.734]

I love these episodes!!

[@DeathEgg666]

0:51 clean your tips you maniacs!

[@cmen6895]

nah, just gotta sand her down.

[@graemebarnes3445]

@@cmen6895 eh its mig, as long as theres a hole its fine lol

[@OkayTimeToGoNow]

thanks for the upload! i appreciate it

[@Kleavers]

I have to say the high speed footage they got from this is amazing :)

[@DerekMoore82]

Over the course of my life, I've had a few lighters blow up inside a hot parked car. I'd return to the car to find the aftermath, with plastic shards where a lighter used to be. I've never seen it happen in real time. In 40 years it's only happened twice so it's rare, but it can happen.

[@eslesss]

Adam's shirt: failure is always an option Totally agree and live by it...in a way :D

[@cslack813]

I’ve had a lighter explode in a dryer. I think they are forgetting 1 vital thing. LAUNDRY! you know, the stuff that gets hot in the machine, and more importantly, the stuff that builds intense static energy while drying.

[@SANCHEZLEO90]

CSlack just happened to me today I forgot my lighter in my shorts and boom

[@cslack813]

leonardo sanchez happened to me multiple times. If they get something like this wrong it makes you question their other tests. I think it was pretty boneheaded of them to not mimic normal conditions where the lighter would explode-i.e. with laundry in the drier getting the whole thing hot. If you put the lighter by itself then it just bounces inside the machine a ton and doesn’t get as hot as it would in a machine that has fabrics to retain the heat and build up static.

[@static-san]

The Hyneman Humour - so good to see!

[@BLCKVD]

There's one simple way to also explode these tiny bastards, me and my friends use to just throw them in huge speeds straight to asphalt when it didn't give pretty much any fire from it anymore, so simply just throw to asphalt in huge speed and BOOM :D

[@MarijnKonings]

At 0:52, dammit Adam, clean that nozel!

[@immortalsofar5314]

I don't know about combustion but I left a plastic lighter in my car on a hot, summer's day and returned to find a load of shattered plastic.

[@koppadasao]

Jamie "The Walrus" Hyneman laughing? What a sight!

[@nottherealpaulsmith]

it hurts to see adam and jamie watching a mig welder spark without masks, i've taken a few welding classes in my time and watching the sparks without protection feels like getting sand in your eye sockets, it's itchy as all hell

[@tacomas9602]

They're looking at the lighter not the arc. they're just shielding the upper half of their vision.

[@elektrobear2027]

Had one of these go off in my pocket when I worked in an aluminium foundry. No flames but it was kinda chocking though.

[@joshualewis8077]

1. Dirty MIG gun 2. He just watched the arc

[@SheepdogSmokey]

Clothes dryer, unless the metal on the lighter hits something perfectly, you have 2 of 3 things needed. Heat and Fuel, without an ignition source, are dangerous, but not likely to blow up a lighter. For the welder, the sparks were the ignition, not the ambient heat.

[@Solnoric]

I wanna know if they ever testing the golf machine at the driving range.

[@ruthgar9753]

I want to know if they ever tried Jamie's idea with the bowling ball :)

[@ConanRider]

They blocked their view of the mig welder with their hands.

[@wolfmantroy6601]

I once had a piece of slag melt into a Bic lighter in my t-shirt pocket. I didn't notice till lunch time when I went to light a cigarette and my new lighter was out of fuel.

[@LinkinPark4Ever1996]

5:18 when I was a kid we used to throw them to the ground to make them explode. No fireball because no ignition source, but the liquid butane when it comes out of its container it quickly expands into gas so you get a pop

[@ThunderChunky101]

We used to open the valve on adjustable lighters until they stuck open, light them and THEN hit with a golf club. Worked every time.

[@Floccinaucinihilipilificator]

happened to me this month, a super sharp piece of plastic missed my eye by an inch.

[@davidhenderson3400]

I know a man that had his car windshield cracked when lighter was left in the hot sun. No flame but when the casing failed it cracked the windshield

[@TerrenceCallahan]

"White boy high five!" Lololol 😂

[@Deep_Ro]

Lol I've run soo many lighters threw the dryer I could of told them that one wouldn't work haha

[@Sunprism]

1:54 RIP Rip Taylor

[@Redfour5]

I had one of the cheap clear or yellow plastic ones that was sitting on a table in the direct early afternoon sun that blew up and scared the poo out of me. Some of the pieces were very sharp but I was about five feet away. Afterwards, I hypothesized that because it was clear with the thick plastic including internal support plastic, that it acted like a lense and focused the heat causing internal temperatures and/or pressure leading to the explosion. I saw it out of the corner of my eye as it went and it appeared to blow from pressure with a very slight burst of flame upon exposure to the air as the gas dispersed. I thought of this episode.

[@LouSassoleSledgecock]

Redfour5 you’re an absolute genius!!!!

[@blakOrkk]

That's one hell of dirty welder!

[@fergusoddjob]

used to muck around hitting the really cheap lighters with tennis racquets and sometimes they'd go up in flames quite spectacularly, esp at night.

[@Halvblodsprinsen100]

And this is why i have a re-usable lighter, with a metal exterior.

[@lilnastyy1604]

When I was younger, when your non refillable disposable lighters ran out you’d pelt it at the floor as it pops, no flame, just pressure 😂

[@adam207321]

That space Odyssey reference :D

[@joegarrison5911]

I remember we used to have bon fires and if you threw in the *Really* cheap ones they used to go up in a huge explosion. The bic's just kinda putterd out but the thin see through plastic ones definitely could have killed somebody

[@thisisntanoption702]

I welded for a year with a lighter in my pocket. Oops

[@brendanmatelan2129]

5:57, Makes me laugh everytime.

[@sharpie443]

I learned to make them explode back in high-school. I can modify one with my pocket knife to shoot a flame big enough to melt the top and set the rest of the liquid off. Neat trick to do at an outdoor party just make sure not to throw it near anyone. .

[@HappyChonger]

I had a lighter explode on me once. It was in the dashboard of the van while I was driving along, and it just exploded. It just went bang and shattered into pieces, I had been using it as a bottle opener though so that may of weakened it.

[@alvinfamador6861]

here in philippines its true that lighter explode sometimes especially the crystal one, sometimes we'll throw that on the concrete wall it explode wirhout fire only the pressure inside from the butane. maybe the presure is already too high for the plastic.

[@SeriousGlory]

pun overload from the narrator

[@LadyTink]

exactly :) I was hoping someone else caught that XD 6:49

[@xxDRLCxx]

many of my lighters popped in my jeans pockets when in the dryer.it may have been what you said or the lighter breaking when tumbling

[@420lovless]

I've have thousands in my pockets in the dryer and not one has popped.. Just regular Bic lighters.

[@jacobmortimore]

@@420lovless same I've never had one Pop in the dryer.

[@pichoneitor23123]

HE’S THE LIGHTER THIEF.

[@Facebooker413]

You can actually just throw some of these real hard on the ground and do it, especially if the lighter's mechanism is compromised in some way like it's rusty or busted in some way

[@dragojuice8716]

me and my buddy blew one of those up once, we cranked the flame past max and it wouldnt go out even if we let go of the trigger, it got too hot to hold so we threw it, hit the ground and went BOOM

[@mickberghefer4447]

Those really cheap ass crack light can explode just from dropping it. My buddy dropped one on carpet and it exploded.

[@tylorevans]

I truly believe that a dryer can be an sorce or an ignition if the dryer melts the plastic on the lighter then the butane gas leaks out can find an ignition sorce like if the dryer is a gas dryer the butane can be ignited by the gas flame I work at a used appliance shop I have taken dryers apart many times i have found lighters which have fell out of the drum into the dryes inside if it gets close to the heating element or the gas flame can cause an explosion I do see this happening and its probably happened before. Just found a news article on the news republic back in 2002 a man working at a dry cleaners was injured by a disposal lighter that exploded with enough force it blew the dryers door off so it can happen.

[@metalinyourhead3604]

I actually think I might have had a lighter go through the dryer. It didn’t go boom.

[@geographyinaction7814]

Guys used to walk out to the gatehouse at our pulp mill, a light a cigarette with a Bic, the security/First Aid attendants would run out and exchange brand new Zippo's for the disposable.

[@niklastimra]

8:14 I can watch that over and over again, looks awesome!! And I have no life... :(

[@vaportrapper1825]

Atf polo goes hard

[@nmlb_psychosis7137]

I have a theory about the lighter in the dryer myth. So the myth was ‘if you forget your lighter in you pants pocket and throw them in the dryer, the lighter will explode.’ So, they only had the lighter in the dryer and i can only assume that it bounced around enough to let some butane out from it hitting on the trigger. What if the pants/other clothes that are getting dry create static and thats what sets off the butane? Although the lighter is in the pocket i would still assume that at least a little butane would get out from it bouncing around.

[@derekwall200]

and i am surprised at 8:04 the gas was still able to ignite even after the club hit blew the flame out.

[@HandicappedMind]

we used to just throw lighters on the ground when the flint or striker broke on them or something and they still had gas left and they would pop... if u you it just right ya get a good bang

[@CrypticFerret]

This happened to me for no apparent reason once. It surprised me.

[@davidaward82]

the most dangerous way for a disposable to go up isn't from fire. it's from ambient heat. I have friend who forgot they'd left one on top of a wall mounted gas fire, they left the room to make coffee and heard an explosion. came back to find shards of plastic embedded in the walls of the room

[@JoJ0estar]

That's why they had their hands raised to cover the light.

[@TheUltimateULTRA]

I actually did this/ don’t know how commonly this happens. - Threw a lighter on the floor a couple meters away quite hard and it blew up. No one was hurt but if it went off near me i think it’d have burnt me the explosion and bang was very loud (does this mean the lighter must’ve been cracked slightly to release some fuel to allow for a spark)

[@sweeflyboy]

Shooting a disposable lighter with a pellet gun while a burning candle is nearby is fun. Trust me, I've done it. The fireball is quite large and when the shockwave hits you it almost winds you.

[@BlueLineofthesky]

It happened to me. A few years ago, in a very hot August day, I was in my car and my cigarette lighter (the cheap plastic transparent ones) was on the top the board of the car, under the windscreen. The sun was directly on it. In 30-40 minutes, (I was talking with a colleague, inside the car), POOOOP the cigarette lighter exploded. Very powerful explosion. No fire. I scared me for life :) Smoking is really dangerous. :)

[@garylyons6856]

I wish you all would make a new episode .I miss you all

[@thewestfire9729]

They probably should’ve been wearing at least Shade 5 glasses for this

[@xxDRLCxx]

does not damage the clothing though

[@ByronRadstyle]

I've left multiple lighters in dryers.

[@vladimirlastraud5740]

The light is extremely bright and puts out a decent amount of I think.. UV rays, enough that if you don't wear gloves or long sleeves it can sunburn you in half an hour maybe, also can cause blindness.

[@tranquilitasamare9372]

Slowmo fire looks like magic.

[@juanhunose1]

I left one on top of my car dashboard. The heat from the sun coming through made it explode! No flames fortunately, I guess the pressure build up just ruptured it?

[@mikerich7848]

Yep

[@blushingmushroom1949]

I came out to my car to find pieces of my lighter all over the place from such an event. I saw nothing though.

[@derekwall200]

well BIC lighters contain butane liquid under pressure. a normal BIC lighter is pressurized to 25 PSI at room temperature, but at 135-140 degrees (temps found in hot cars) the pressure can climb to about 100-150 PSI. and from what i have read they can be like mini hand grenades and can send shrapnel flying everywhere which can kill

[@jepptp]

Adam held his hand up, so he wouldn't look at that exact place...

[@michaelnunya8828]

I had a clear one I left on my neighbors deck while swimming sun beating on it, i picked it up and went to light it it exploded in my hand but luckily blew out the bottom away from me. From that moment on I have never used clear lighter or left any lay in direct sunlight.

[@ddmcd1215]

Correct me if I'm wrong but a lighter in the dryer would have clothes as well and those clothes could potentially cause static giving the lighter its ignition

[@kevinjohnson7300]

Ive had lighters explode a bunch. Ive dropped them on accident and BOOM right next to my foot lol