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

Big fireball explosions are not the real destructive ones. The explosions that cause the most damage do so because the explosion is very rapid, and creates and extremely compact air pressure wave. It is that dense, high pressure wave that blasts apart stuff.

So that kind of explosion that ignites and burns the fuel much quicker, than if you were to light up a drum of gasoline, for instance; which would create a spectacular fireball, but be far less destructive to structures.

Answer 2

Big fireball explosions are not the real destructive ones. The explosions that cause the most damage do so because the explosion is very rapid, and creates and extremely compact air pressure wave. It is that dense, high pressure wave that blasts apart stuff.

So that kind of explosion that ignites and burns the fuel much quicker, than if you were to light up a drum of gasoline, for instance; which would create a spectacular fireball, but be far less destructive to structures.