Bullet vs Prince Rupert's Drop at 150,000 fps - Smarter Every Day 165

SmarterEveryDay · 7.4M views · 2016 · 8:40

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Everyday physics & science demosMaterials sciencedemo

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN cites it as the go-to high-speed footage whenever Prince Rupert's drops come up.

What it is

Smarter Every Day films a bullet hitting a Prince Rupert's drop with a high-speed camera at 150,000 fps. It shows how the glass drop's tough head and fragile tail behave on impact.

Recommended by 0 HN commenters across 0 different months, 2017 to 2025.

What Hacker News said

Cites kahirsch · 2017-05 · on “Scientists solve 400-year-old mystery of Prince Rupert's drops”

The Smarter Every Day YouTube channel has done several high-speed videos about Prince Rupert's drops, including a couple released just last week. * 2013-03-22 [LINK] * 2016-12-29 [this video] * 2017-04-26 [LINK] * 2017-04-30 [LINK]

Cites gnicholas · 2023-04 · on “Prince Rupert's Drop vs Molten Glas”

He also did a bunch of super slow-motion videos about shooting a Prince Rupert's drop with various firearms: [this video] [LINK] [LINK]

Cites test1235 · 2025-04 · on “Why 'Prince Rupert's Drop' Glass Is Strong Enough to Shatter a Bullet (2023)”

video in lieu of the article's broken link: Bullet vs Prince Rupert's Drop at 150,000 fps - Smarter Every Day 165: [this video]