Buzz
While cruising down the highway, you might spot that iconic bumper sticker urging you to 'Shoot Your TV.' And let's face it—during moments of frustration with a lousy game, a dull sitcom, or an irritating commentator, the idea of taking aim at your television might seem oddly appealing.
But what if you actually carried through with it? Imagine hauling your old-school TV, with its hefty glass tube, out back and firing a shot. We're referring to those bulky 25-inch or larger models, featuring a thick glass screen weighing anywhere from 50 to 100 pounds.
At Mytour, we decided to put this theory to the test ourselves.
Given that the TV tube is a vacuum-sealed component, urban legends suggest a dramatic implosion would occur upon impact. The theory goes that the vacuum would pull glass fragments inward before violently propelling them outward like shrapnel.
When we conducted the experiment, the outcome was far from dramatic. The bullet created a precise hole in the glass, allowing air to swiftly fill the tube. Contrary to popular belief, there was no implosion.
Will TV ever be the same?
Once the shot was fired, curiosity led us to dismantle the television and examine its inner workings. Using a hammer to break away the remaining glass, we uncovered the following components inside:
- The front glass - This thick, durable piece is made of leaded crystal, similar to optical glass, ensuring clarity and uniformity. It contains between 1 and 2 percent lead.
- The phosphor - A white powdery coating on the back of the glass, which easily flakes off.
- The shadow mask - Positioned just behind the screen, this component is essential for color TVs. It aligns the three electron guns with their corresponding red, green, and blue phosphor dots. The mask is crafted by perforating a thin metal sheet with hundreds of thousands of microscopic holes.
- The electron gun - Located at the rear of the tube, this intricate piece of metal and ceramic heats filaments to produce electrons, accelerates them, and focuses them into a beam. In color TVs, three beams travel at nearly a third the speed of light, energizing the phosphor upon impact.
So, if you ever decide to shoot your TV, this is what you can expect. However, we don’t recommend trying it yourself—unless you’re prepared to deal with 50 pounds of leaded glass scattered across your yard and a massive cleanup job!
