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How to liquefy a watermelon using a 20,000-joule capacitor

March 16, 2017

Electrical safety is important in the plant, and it is just as important in your backyard.

Electrical safety is important in the plant, and it is just as important in your backyard. In his latest YouTube video, the Backyard Scientist demonstrates exactly what happens when you combine a watermelon with a 20,000-joule capacitor bank. Spoiler alert: It doesn't end well for the watermelon.

According to Eric Limer for Popular Mechanics: "Normally if you want to liquefy a piece of fruit, you turn to a blender or food processor. But why would you want to do that when you could make the whole process much more complicated, dangerous, and messy? Forget the kitchen, breakout the 20,000 joule capacitor bank and get to work in the backyard.

OK, so maybe electrocuting fruit into a pulp is not particularly practical but it is spectacular, as this video from the ever-crazier Backyard Scientist indicates. Just watch as a bank of four capacitors release at once to completely devastate this poor melon with the equivalent force of four .50 caliber rifles firing at once."

About the Author

Alexis Gajewski | Senior Content Strategist

Alexis Gajewski has over 15 years of experience in the maintenance, reliability, operations, and manufacturing space. She joined Plant Services in 2008 and works to bring readers the news, insight, and information they need to make the right decisions for their plants. Alexis also authors “The Lighter Side of Manufacturing,” a blog that highlights the fun and innovative advances in the industrial sector. 

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