Does The Chemistry In Breaking Bad Actually Hold Up? | MythBusters

In a special crossover episode, the MythBusters team, joined by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and star Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman), put some of the show's most iconic and explosive scientific feats to the test. The goal: to determine whether the chemistry depicted in the critically acclaimed series is scientifically accurate or merely Hollywood magic.

The Case of the Dissolving Bathtub

One of the most gruesome and memorable scenes from Breaking Bad involves Jesse Pinkman and Walter White attempting to dispose of a body using hydrofluoric acid in a bathtub. The acid, according to the show, not only dissolves the body but also eats through the bathtub, the floor, and the ceiling, leading to a bloody, messy collapse. The MythBusters first tackled this myth by testing hydrofluoric acid's corrosive power on various materials found in a typical bathroom: ceramic (for the tub), wood (for the floor), linoleum, drywall, steel (for a gun), and even pig flesh and bone as a human analog.

The initial small-scale tests, conducted in a controlled lab environment at Berkeley, involved submerging small samples of each material in 100ml of hydrofluoric acid for eight hours. The results were underwhelming. While the drywall turned into a soggy mush and the cast iron tub's ceramic glaze showed some etching, the steel, linoleum, wood, and even the pig flesh remained largely intact. Hydrofluoric acid, while dangerous and corrosive, simply didn't possess the all-consuming power depicted in the show.