Why does smoke from a soldering iron ALWAYS go towards your face??? @AlphaPhoenixChannel
Why does smoke from a soldering iron ALWAYS go towards your face???  @AlphaPhoenixChannel
Uploaded May 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Today I've finally answered a question that's bothered me for a long time - if you've ever used a soldering iron, it FEELS like the smoke is ALWAYS blowing directly towards your face, but for years I wrote it off as confirmation bias. It's not. There's a real physical reason the smoke is funneled annoyingly towards your eyeballs, and in this video, aided by a plane laser and a smoke machine, I figure it out!

CORRECTIONS:
1: Safety! Turns out mineral oil smoke CAN be toxic and produce Lipoid Pneumonia, thanks to Cheetah Spottycat below for pointing this out. I chose it initially because the internet told me it wouldn't leave residue all over my garage, but I cannot endorse it as a try-this-at-home technique!

USEFUL DISCUSSIONS:
reddit.com/r/electronics/comments/gsfayl/its_not_just_confirmation_bias_solder_smoke
hackaday.com/2020/06/01/why-does-solder-smoke-always-find-your-face

GIFS:
gfycat.com/querulousunsightlybrownbear
gfycat.com/easyindelibledegus
gfycat.com/helpfuleachcat

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facebook.com/AlphaPhoenixChannel
twitter.com/Alpha__Phoenix

#Science #Lasers #Soldering

Music in this video:
I Dunno by grapes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
ccmixter.org/files/grapes/16626

Arcadia - Wonders by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100326
Artist: incompetech.com
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Why does smoke from a soldering iron ALWAYS go towards your face???

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