What Substance Could Have The Wicked Witch Of The West Been Made Of?

[Maine farmer]

That scene from "The Wizard of Oz" where Dorothy throws water on the witch and she melts.  The reaction seems to be exothermic in the movie.  What substance would react that way to water?

 

Another question: If the witch knew she would have that reaction to water, why would she keep pails of it hanging on the walls of her castle?  

[Turtle]

Erhm, it's fiction Farming Guy. Are you trying to keep up with Petrushka and Mariel, or what? Good grief. :doh:

[DrKrettin]

That scene from "The Wizard of Oz" where Dorothy throws water on the witch and she melts.  The reaction seems to be exothermic in the movie.  What substance would react that way to water?

 

Another question: If the witch knew she would have that reaction to water, why would she keep pails of it hanging on the walls of her castle?  '

 

Have a go at throwing water at concentrated sulphuric acid. Actually, please don't, it's bloody dangerous and highly exothermic. Where is Exchemist when we need him?

[A-wal]

This is what happens when I recommend weed as a pain killer to people who aren't used it. :)

[Maine farmer]

Erhm, it's fiction Farming Guy. Are you trying to keep up with Petrushka and Mariel, or what? Good grief. :doh:

Not quite, I put this in the Lounge section due to my understanding that it is not real science.  Mariel and Petrushka make no such distinction.  

 

This is what happens when I recommend weed as a pain killer to people who aren't used it. :)

Actually, I am quite capable of thinking nonsense without weed, thank you very much!

[Turtle]

No less a waste of time than those other folks. Don't you have some cows to milk?

[A-wal]

Actually, I am quite capable of thinking nonsense without weed, thank you very much!

Just a joke mate. Would have been very funny if it was true though. It's just a bit weird that this question comes from you and not one of the other two, must be contagious.

 

Actually it's not as bad as it sounds, it's just the way you worded it. 'What substances are cohesive enough to form a shape roughly the size of a person and would dissolve almost instantly when exposed to liquid water? Think the witch in Wizard Of Oz.' wouldn't have seemed as wacky.

[CraigD]

That scene from "The Wizard of Oz" where Dorothy throws water on the witch and she melts. The reaction seems to be exothermic in the movie. What substance would react that way to water?

Maybe the WWW wasn’t made out of anything unusual, but had a freaky immune disorder manifesting as fantastically severe aquagenic urticaria (we had a short, strange discussion of this last year in this thread).

 

If you want to read a lot about the witches of Oz and their various fantastical powers and afflictions, read the Wicked books. A detail that’s stuck in my mind from them is that the Witch of the West (Elphaba, Elphie for short) has to cover herself with special oils to avoid burns from such things as physical contact with another human being. And her mom was a promiscuous munchkin. :) Saying more risks spoilers.