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Re: [Phys-l] buoyancy on a submerged pole



I don't know if this is apocryphal or not; but allegedly Al Einstein was shown either a drawing or the actual device, and immediately was able to describe how to the the weight into the cup - guarranteed.

________________________________________
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Bernard Cleyet [bernardcleyet@redshift.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2010 12:59 AM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Cc: nancy seese; NorCal AAPT e-mail list
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] buoyancy on a submerged pole

This reminds me of the demo. using a spring (rubber band) restrained weight hanging over the edge of a cup. When the app. is allowed to fall, the weight pops into the cup!.

bc saw at a NCNAAPT meeting, IHRC.


On 2010, Nov 05, , at 10:57, Robert Cohen wrote:


Is your classroom in free-fall?

Oh, I forgot to mention that point. :)



On 2010, Nov 05, , at 17:28, LaMontagne, Bob wrote:

That was my feeling as well - the lid simply filled with water. Everything I tried popped up as well - including a coffee mug that had a soft rubber lip.

Bob at PC

________________________________________
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Scott Orshan [sdorshan@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, November 05, 2010 12:54 PM
To: phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] buoyancy on a submerged pole

(First a correction - in my previous area calculations I was squaring
the diameter instead of the radius. What I said would apply to a 12 inch
funnel. The conclusion does not change.)

I don't know. I can't get this to happen, using a variety of pot and jar
lids and metal bowls held upside down as a pot of water is filled.
Everything wants to pop up when I let go. Are you sure that the air
didn't escape as you were filling it? You saw no bubbles? Were you
pushing on the center of the lid as you held it down, deforming it a little?

A really heavy lid with a very small volume of air under it might hold
itself down.

Steel will normally sink in water, but when it encloses a volume of air,
the water pressure differential should be transmitted to the air and
push the whole thing up. When you want to lift a sunken ship, you fill
it with air.

Is there a soft plastic rim on the lid that might be forming a seal
against the bottom? Is your classroom in free-fall? Now I'm venturing
into the "look like a fool when your explanation is completely wrong"
zone, but I'm going for the seal explanation. The surface tension of the
water plus the increase in air pressure from pressing down on the center
of the lid keeps the water from getting under the lid and exerting a
vertical force. Can you try holding the lid down from the edges when
filling the container?

Scott

* /From/: "Robert Cohen" <Robert.Cohen@po-box.esu.edu
<mailto:Robert.Cohen%40po-box.esu.edu>>
* /Date/: Fri, 5 Nov 2010 11:55:45 -0400

------------------------------------------------------------------------

For what it is worth, I placed a large shallow screw-on top (like the
lid to a can of baby formula but deeper) on the bottom of a larger
container. I then filled the container with water, holding down the lid
while it filled. I then let go.

No adhesives were used.

You can predict what happened and then look at the pictures:
<http://www.esu.edu/physics/cohen/phys-l/>

----------------------------------------------------------
Robert A. Cohen, Department of Physics, East Stroudsburg University
570.422.3428 rcohen@po-box.esu.eduhttp://www.esu.edu/~bbq <http://www.esu.edu/%7Ebbq>


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Forum for Physics Educators
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_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
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_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l