Mythbusters: Hindenburg Mystery

The gas used to fill the Hindenburg airship was (a)  

• Helium
• Hydrogen
• Oxygen
• Nitrogen

What property of hydrogen made it a concern for airship safety?

• It is highly reactive and flammable

• It is denser than air

• It is heavier than helium

• It is chemically inert

Tags

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

Which of the following best describes the scientific investigation conducted in the episode?

• Testing whether the Hindenburg was struck by lightning

• Examining whether the airship’s skin contributed to the fire

• Reconstructing the exact cause of the explosion using original materials

• Determining if a meteor could have caused the disaster

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

What principle explains why the Hindenburg was able to float in the air?

• Newton’s Third Law

• Bernoulli’s Principle

• Archimedes’ Principle

• The Doppler Effect

What did the MythBusters determine about the flammability of the Hindenburg’s outer skin?

• It was completely fireproof

• It burned rapidly due to its chemical composition

• It only burned when combined with liquid hydrogen

• It had no impact on the fire’s spread

What was the main factor that accelerated the spread of the fire?

• Static electricity discharge igniting hydrogen

• A mechanical failure in the engines

• The combination of hydrogen and the flammable outer coating

• Lightning striking the airship

Match the following theories with their descriptions regarding the Hindenburg incident.

• Moisture absorption paint theory

• The paint was chemically designed to prevent combustion

• Incendiary paint theory

• The paint absorbed moisture, making the airship too heavy to fly

• Reflective paint theory

• The paint reflected too much sunlight, overheating the hydrogen

• Combustion prevention paint theory

• The paint on the Hindenburg contained materials that could ignite easily

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-3

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

Why does hydrogen burn so quickly?

• It is the heaviest gas in the atmosphere

• It has low energy content

• It reacts explosively with oxygen in the air

• It is a solid at room temperature

What did the MythBusters conclude about the cause of the Hindenburg disaster?

• The hydrogen alone was responsible for the explosion

• The outer skin’s flammability contributed significantly to the rapid fire spread

• A bomb was hidden inside the airship

• The disaster was unavoidable due to weather conditions

What modern safety improvement prevents similar disasters in airships today?

• The use of helium instead of hydrogen

• The removal of metal components from airships

• Increasing the size of airships

• Using more explosive-resistant fuels