Why do rocket impacts often look like bang snaps?

Question

I often ask myself why impacts from rockets, missiles or grenades often look like a small explosion without a lot of destruction the moment they hit something , like seen here:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riF1szCa6Ho](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riF1szCa6Ho)

And in the end the aftermaths of something like that are waaay bigger and more severe than seen in the second of the impact. Does it have to do because buildings collaps some time after being hit by a weapon?

If I see videos of explosions I think: Ok wow, luckily the explosion wasn’t that big so nothing bad must happened.
And then later when seeing the aftermath in the news I’m like: FUCK, how did the building completely vanish?

In: 9

Answer 1

Hollywood has lied to you. Real weapon explosions are efficient chemically. They don’t want there to be a big fireball with lots of smoke. The weapons have very precise amount of oxidant and explosive so it is highly efficient.

The idea of the weapons is to create as big and powerful of a pressure wave. It is what causes destruction and kills things.

If you have ever burned something like pure alcohol. You see that the flame is basically invisible. Basically all of the alcohol fume burns. Making it efficient and there is no carbon to be released.

Answer 2

Hollywood has lied to you. Real weapon explosions are efficient chemically. They don’t want there to be a big fireball with lots of smoke. The weapons have very precise amount of oxidant and explosive so it is highly efficient.

The idea of the weapons is to create as big and powerful of a pressure wave. It is what causes destruction and kills things.

If you have ever burned something like pure alcohol. You see that the flame is basically invisible. Basically all of the alcohol fume burns. Making it efficient and there is no carbon to be released.