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Re: dropped slinky



Reminds me of the falling chimney that breaks into two pieces because the top is
forced to fall at > g.


bc hasn't heard of trees doing this -- probably because wood is so much stronger
than brick and mortar

Bob Sciamanda wrote:

Consider a small mass m connected to a larger mass M by a string. Now you
support the small mass m and let M hang below. When you release your hold,
m will accelerate at a = (M + m)/(mg). Just a re=wording of the previous a
= total weight/(mass of held portion). Note a spring is not essential - a
string will do to emphasize this phenomenon.

For the slinky I think the denominator depends on just how the thing is
held/released and on how much of the first turn is able to "move as a
whole", without bending - under the given circumstances.

Bob Sciamanda (W3NLV)
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (em)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor

This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.

This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.