Ace posted:Reverse polarity on a polarized capacitor can make a heck of a bang. Try it outdoors with some junk parts and suitable body protection for an education.
If you read the description, this was excessive voltage on the cap. If you put 110V on a 25V electrolytic, it will explode in a fairly spectacular fashion. In the DCS boards, it's a different situation. The firecracker caps are the tantalum caps, reverse the polarity on those and they pop like little firecrackers. Many times the the aluminum electrolytic caps will just bulge, ooze a little and release some smoke.