Can cell phones REALLY cause explosions at the gas station?

Question

Can cell phones REALLY cause explosions at the gas station?

Answer 1

Theoretically, but considering that there are no known cases of this actually happening (in spite of hundreds of millions of cell phones in use worldwide, and hundreds of millions of gas station visits every week), talking on a cell phone while parked at a gas station is arguably safer than ordinary driving down a street (with or without a cell phone).

For comparison purposes, offensive and sexist though this may sound, it is really true that allowing women to pump their own gas, instead of requiring all gas-pumping to be done by males, more than doubles the risk of an explosion.  (This is believed to be because men almost always stay outside until they are done, while women are somewhat more likely to go back in the car to wait, even though rubbing against automobile seats can create static electricity.)

Answer 2

No it cannot. It has been proven wrong many times by different associations and groups, probably the most famous of these would be the t.v. show Mythbusters. Look it up on Youtube, it's a fun watch.

Answer 3

its remotely possible since it does involve using battery power which is capable of a spark if something should short out. Why not devote your attention to fueling your car with a highly explosive product, and make your unimportant phone call later<

Answer 4

YES, they can, in-directly.  

Here's how.

You get out of the car, in the winter when the air is dry, and start pumping gas.  The gas entering your tank forces vapors out of the fuel neck.  Your phone rings, and you get into your car to answer it.  You fail to touch the pump or anything else to ground out the static electrical build up on your body, and you reach for the nozzel.  Spark, boom.

As for the phone itself,,, it can only cause an explosion if it has some type of failure to cause a spark.  Since there are no coils, old style ringers, etc.,,,, you pretty much have to have a failure.  However, cell phones are not designed to contain a failure, hense they are not intrinsictly safe, or approved for use in flammable atmospheres.  You can buy one that is,,,, but they are pricey, and bulky.  

Look on the back for a some code that will read, Approved Class 1, Division 1,,,, that is intrinsically safe, and all of that stuff is very, very expensive.  

Many people discount the hazards of gasoline vapor, because you have to have just the right circumstance to get it to ignite.  However, I would challenge anyone to find a common household type chemical with a flash point lower than gasoline.  

Play it safe, and leave the phone in the car,,,,and don't talk on it or answer it while fueling.  You can call them back, or they can leave a message.  

Answer 5

Myth Busters basically blew that one out of the water but I'm not going to try to prove them right. I turn off all my toys when I'm refuelling. It's pretty hard to to argue a point from a mortuary slab.

Answer 6

I know that I will get hammered by this but here goes anyway…….a cell phone cannot cause an explosion but there is a possibility that if you drop the cell phone and the battery should come out then that could cause a problem………….   

Answer 7

i think it happened once and they totaly blew it out of control

brainiac tryed it

they put like 20 phones in a carravan full of petrol fumes like everywhere and phoned them all and nothing happend

so i highly doubt it would  

Answer 8

Not likley, but who would you talk to while removing the nozzle, turning it on, and fumbling for money @$4.00 a gallon?

Most fires at gas pump are static electricity. IE.(Truck bed liners and fuel container, getting in and out of vehicle)

Alway make contact with vehicle before fueling. This will discharge any static electricity.

Answer 9

any spark...can cause  an explosion even that of a cell phone.

besides alot of cell phones have metal casings that can trigger a spark.

Good luck...leave your cell phone in the car.

Answer 10

No