With an intimate look at the alkali metal sodium [Na] and its reaction with water [H₂O], we learn that there is more to this classic reaction than a simple classroom explosion. For quite some time, the actual mechanism for the explosive nature of sodium metal was completely misunderstood. It wasn't until researchers at the Czech Academy of Sciences used high speed cameras to reveal the hidden secrets of these reactions. They discovered that Coulombic forces are what causes the explosive nature of these metals. Welcome to the world of sodium metal and Coulomb explosions.