LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Alex Garner <alex@netcraft.com.au>
  To  : <linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au>
  Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 10:46:07 +0930

Re: Cd's that go BANG !

On Sat, Jul 21, 2001 at 11:45:51AM +0930, John Edwards wrote:
> >You may not believe it but this is true! Cd's can go bang!
> 
> It's hardly surprising, since a cheap 50x CDROM can spin the disc up to
> 10,000 RPM in order to get higher transfer rates. There aren't many
> materials that can withstand the radial stresses of such high angular
> velocity without being carefully engineered and balanced for the same. $1
> CD's are neither engineered for speed or balanced after manufacture.
> 
> If you got a car engine to rev to 10Krpm, it's most likely that the
> flywheel would explode much like the CD, with a huge bang.

I have also heard of people manually opening high speed drives using a
flattened paperclip or similar device. Should the cd be spinning at the
moment of ejection and the ejection be performed at the exactly the right
moment and speed, the effect is similar to what Ian observed, except that
the CD destruction takes place on a nearby wall, rather than in the drive.

If anyone decides to try this, can you please do it in front of a web cam
for the enjoyment of the rest of the list?

Cheers

Alex!

-- 

Alex Garner <alex@netcraft.com.au>

NetCraft Australia
Phone (08) 8338 0888
http://www.netcraft.com.au

"We have achieved the best possible performance by using
the available power supply & holding the air velocity to
a level which will allow it to heat to the highest
temperature near dry hands could stand on a warm day."

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