RE: non-inertial: plants

["Richard W. Tarara" <rtarara@saintmarys.edu>]

Huh?  I don't see that your results contradict what Marlow said at all.  I
take his answer to mean that the plants will grow "up" away from the
centrepetal force causing their circular motion!  Isn't this what you
saw?

Rick

----------
> From: Rauber, Joel              Phys
> To: physic-l
> Subject: non-inertial: plants
> Date: Wednesday, May 01, 1996 10:12 AM
>
>
> Marlow wrote in reply to the brave jumping in of lew Haddad:
>
> > I would imagine the plants are doing pretty much the same thing they do
> > at the Earth's surface  --  growing stems and leaves in the direction
in
> > which the electrochemical surface forces are exerted on them, and
sending
> > out roots in the opposite direction.
>
>
> Marlow is wrong, we have done the experiment in our department!  We grew

> grass in a circular annulus aluminum pie pan. The pan was put on a
rotating 
> platform centered on the rotation axis of the platform, sitting on top
of a 
> normal table.  The lights were directly above at the ceiling.
>
> The grass did not grow vertical towards the light. The blades were all 
> tilted toward the center towards the rotation action and at  a more less

> constant angle for all the blades of grass.
>
> This experiment is best done with fast growing grass, because you have
to 
> have the rotating platform running for a long period of time. It was
about 3 
> weeks for us to allow enough time for the grass seeds to germinate and
grow 
> about 1-2 cm in length.
>
> Joel Rauber
> rauberj@mg.sdstate.edu
>
> PS
>
> I don't understand Marlow's power company comments. I assume they are 
> charging me for whatever it is that Marlow is worried about.
>
> Exactly what is the kinetic energy of a car moving at 60 mph down the 
> highway? Marlow will have tremendous trouble inside a room without
windows 
> measuring the kinetic energy of objects; because he will have to somehow

> figure out what is the true KE and what is the apparent KE. I don't.