Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: Loaded dice



Center of Mass - an often ignored concept in intro physics.

When the die 'finds' itself up on an edge, the torques about that
edge are not balanced. The 'load' greatly favors a turn to C.M. low.



At 4:16 PM -0500 12/2/02, Bob Sciamanda wrote:
You read my consternation correctly, John. Since all masses experience
the same acceleration in a gravitational field, there must be some other
reason for the heavier side to out-run the others. With most objects I
would look for differences in air resistance, because of shape. Not
applicable here. I am left with a vague appeal to a tumbling phenomenon
and am trying to remember applicable dteails of past studies of "rigid
body motion". The "tennis racket theorem" (only the words) just came to
mind! Please elucidate!
-Bob

Bob Sciamanda (W3NLV)
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (em)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Mallinckrodt" <ajm@CSUPOMONA.EDU>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Monday, December 02, 2002 3:56 PM
Subject: Re: Loaded dice


| >Is it true that a dice is "loaded" by adding an internal weight near a
| >given face. Is this supposed to favor the dice falling with this face
| >"down"? Someone please explain(???)
|
| This would seem to me to be the case and it probably doesn't hurt if
| the dice are of the "rounded edge" variety. See, for instance,
|
| http://www.halfpast.demon.co.uk/dd.html
|
| But why do I think you must have some sort of a theory to suggest
| that this shouldn't work? ;-)
|
| --
| John Mallinckrodt mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
| Cal Poly Pomona http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm