Welcome back to the chemistry section of The Science of “Breaking Bad”! Now that I’ve laid down the fundamentals of elements and their particles, and explained how chemistry can quickly turn deadly in the wrong hands, it’s time to get a little more advanced. Walt’s superior knowledge of chemistry served him well in the classroom, but it was in the criminal world that it became an essential skill in Heisenberg’s arsenal. Sure, that knowledge mainly supplied him with an endless stream of methamphetamine and ever-increasing stacks of cash, an important plot point in Breaking Bad. But just as chemistry allows for the creation of all-new compounds, so, too, does it offer the power to destroy.
In this section, I’ll take a look at the more destructive side of Heisenberg’s mad science. I’ll revisit the fan-favorite explosives—fulminated mercury and the wheelchair bomb—to see if the on-screen chemistry lives up to its potential. I’ll then pick apart his scheme to cobble together an industrial-strength DIY lockpick through the use of thermite. And finally, I’ll cover the basics of acids in a breakdown of one of the show’s most frequently used chemicals: hydrofluoric acid. Things are about to get a little messy.