Glass Prince Rupert’s Drops Being Shot With a Bullet and Exploding in 150,000 fps Slow Motion

Destin Sandlin from Smarter Every Day demonstrated the strength and fragility of glass Prince Rupert’s Drops by shooting them with a gun and filming the explosion in 150,000 fps slow motion.

The round bell of the drops are strong enough to withstand a hammer and even cause the bullets to shatter, but their tails are so fragile that they start a violent chain reaction when disturbed that causes the entire structure to explode.

The unusual properties of the glass drops are caused by how they are formed. When the molten glass is dropped in water, its outer layer solidifies quickly while the interior is still molten and cools more slowly. The drops have fascinated scientists for centuries.