The energy source in TNT is the chemical potential within the explosive, which is greater than the potential outside, so the reaction is explosive. In this exa

The energy source in TNT is the chemical potential within the explosive, which is greater than the potential outside, so the reaction is explosive. In this example, the energy source is the pressure of the water column, which is equipotent with the depth, and applying equally to all external faces of the sphere. It'll be dramatic for the sphere, but fairly inconsequential for anything not immediately adjacent.