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Re: falling chain

PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu writes:
PS
Could some of the current "private" discussion on the Hewitt falling chain
be brought back to the public forum? I was a most interested "lurker".

I had a reliable student perform the experiment with dense masses on a "
swag lamp" chain ( remember those?)

Her results show the chained mass hit first by a small but reliable
amount. I have not had the time to read the article in TPT (vol 34 #6 Sepr
96 p 368) but a scan of it looks convincing in the phenomenon.

too would love to hear more definitive experimental results.Ken Fox
AP/IB Physics Teacher
Smoky Hill High School
Aurora, CO

I have finally - after an assortment of snow days, etc. -got around to
videotaping the fall of a chain. I used a chain which was 92 cm long,
consisting of 46 2 cm links, each with a mass of 1.77 grams. I compared the
drop to that of a steel bearing ball. Chain and ball were held by
electromagnet, with sheet of paper between the objects and the magnet.
Videotaped the fall five times. Each time the end of the chain hit first by
2 to 3 frames. Looks to me like it works.

Bob Morse
Robert A. Morse, Physics Master
St. Albans School, Washington, DC 20016
(202)537-6452 phone (202)537-5613 fax
robert_morse@cathedral.org