Michael Bay Explosions And The Science Of Blowing Things Up In Hollywood

Michael Bay makes blowing things up look easy. Whether it's in the "Transformers" franchise, "Armageddon" or "Pearl Harbor," the director is an expert at Hollywood explosions. Not all explosions are created equally, or have the same chemical composition, so the American Chemical Society created a handy video to show what makes things go boom.

While opinions differ on the quality of his movies, it's hard to argue about Bay's talent when it comes to the action scenes within those blockbusters. As the American Chemical Society explains, an explosion is what happens when potential energy is turned into heat, gas and kinetic energy. A fun scientific term you'll be able to parade around after viewing the video is "brisance," or the shattering power of an explosive as determined by its detonation pressure.

Action movies require big dramatic events, which is why Bay and his team of experts choose something like gunpowder to create a lot of smoke and fire. Some explosives may not produce much smoke, which is why Hollywood will use something similar to an older gunpowder formula that combines sulfur and charcoal, which serve as the fuel, and saltpeter as an oxidizer.

So the next time you watch a Bay movie you'll be able to appreciate what's going on when something randomly blows up. ACS' "Mind-blowing Movies Explained" can be viewed below.