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Beirut Explosion

People 200 miles away in Cyprus heard it and some thought it was a local bombing in Cyprus itself. Over 100 people are dead, but this number is likely to higher. This has just added to the chaos in Lebanon which already faces bad suffering with inflation from corruption/coronavirus.

 
As ammonium nitrate is a salt, both the cation, NH4+, and the anion, NO3-, can take part in a chemical reaction.

Solid ammonium nitrate decomposes on heating. At temperatures below around 300 C the decomposition is mainly to nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and water. Though this was far from funny

NH4NO3 → N2O + 2H2O

At higher temperatures, the following reaction predominates.

2NH4NO3 → 2N2 + O2 + 4H2O

Both decomposition reactions are exothermic. Consequently, when the mass of ammonium nitrate is greater than the critical mass the decomposition is explosive. Many NH4NO3 explosions with loss of lives, have occurred. The brown color in an explosion cloud is due to nitrogen dioxide, a secondary reaction product.
 
If I’m doing the napkin math right on on this:
2,700 tones of ammonium nitrate
= ~1,800 tons of TNT
= ~1.8 Kiloton Nuke Blast
Actually Ammonium Nitrate isn't as efficient as TNT, I think you demonstrate that, but probably closer to 1.0 kT. Semantics though. A rather small nuc, suitcase nuc maybe. Or soda machine nuc, (Sum of all fears movie). And boy did they over exaggerate and get so many things wrong in that movie.
Hope and love to all in that city😢
 
As ammonium nitrate is a salt, both the cation, NH4+, and the anion, NO3-, can take part in a chemical reaction.

Solid ammonium nitrate decomposes on heating. At temperatures below around 300 C the decomposition is mainly to nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and water. Though this was far from funny

NH4NO3 → N2O + 2H2O

At higher temperatures, the following reaction predominates.

2NH4NO3 → 2N2 + O2 + 4H2O

Both decomposition reactions are exothermic. Consequently, when the mass of ammonium nitrate is greater than the critical mass the decomposition is explosive. Many NH4NO3 explosions with loss of lives, have occurred. The brown color in an explosion cloud is due to nitrogen dioxide, a secondary reaction product.
I was getting ready to say the same exact thing.
 
This sucks...it looks like some people just doing their jobs didn't get to return home. So sad.

Is anyone saying this could be terrorism?
 
Fire works and 2700 tons for Ammonium Nitrate isn't terrorism, its stupidity.
You can see the fireworks in the videos.
 
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