Chain fountain

Last updated
Snapshot of chain fountain process Kettenfontane d.jpg
Snapshot of chain fountain process

The chain fountain phenomenon, also known as the self-siphoning beads, Mould effect, or Newton beads is a physical phenomenon observed with a chain placed inside a jar. One end of the chain is pulled from the jar and is allowed to fall under the influence of gravity. This process establishes a self-sustaining flow of the chain which rises over the edge and goes down to the floor or ground beneath it, as if being sucked out of the jar by an invisible siphon. For chains with small adjacent beads, the arc can ascend into the air over and above the edge of the jar with a noticeable gap; this gap is greater when the chain falls farther. [1]

Contents

History

The self-siphoning phenomenon has been known for some time, and had become a topic of public discussion many times in the past. Science entertainer Steve Spangler presented this phenomenon on TV in 2009. [2] This phenomenon is classically known as Newton's beads. [3]

The effect is most pronounced when using a long ball chain. The higher the jar containing the chain is placed above the ground, the higher the chain will rise above the jar during the "siphoning" phase. As demonstrated in an experiment, when the jar is placed 30 metres (98 ft) above the ground and the chain is sufficiently long, the arc of the chain fountain can reach a height of about 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) above the jar.[ non-primary source needed ] [4]

The phenomenon with the rising chain was already described in 2011 as an open problem [note 1] for the 2012 International Young Physicists' Tournament (IYPT) [5] [3] and subsequently brought to widespread public attention in a video made by science presenter Steve Mould in 2013. [6] Mould's YouTube video [7] in which he demonstrated the phenomenon of self-siphoning rising beads, and his subsequent proposed explanation on a BBC show, [8] brought the problem to the attention of academics John Biggins and Mark Warner of Cambridge University, [9] [10] who published their findings in Proceedings of the Royal Society about what they called "chain fountain" or "Mould effect". [11] [6] [12] [13]

Explanation

Video showing chain fountain dynamics

A variety of explanations have been proposed as to how the phenomenon can best be explained in terms of kinematic physics concepts such as energy and momentum. [14] [15] [16] [17] Biggins and Warner suggest that the origin of the upward force is related to the stiffness of the chain links, and the bending restrictions of each chain joint. [6] [18]

Furthermore, because the beads of the chain can drag laterally within the jar across other stationary links, the moving beads of the chain can bounce or jump vertically when they strike the immobile links. [18] [16] This effect contributes to the chain's movement, but is not the primary cause.

See also

Related Research Articles

In physics, the fundamental interactions or fundamental forces are the interactions that do not appear to be reducible to more basic interactions. There are four fundamental interactions known to exist:

In theories of quantum gravity, the graviton is the hypothetical quantum of gravity, an elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitational interaction. There is no complete quantum field theory of gravitons due to an outstanding mathematical problem with renormalization in general relativity. In string theory, believed by some to be a consistent theory of quantum gravity, the graviton is a massless state of a fundamental string.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of physics</span> Historical development of physics

Physics is a branch of science whose primary objects of study are matter and energy. Discoveries of physics find applications throughout the natural sciences and in technology. Historically, physics emerged from the scientific revolution of the 17th century, grew rapidly in the 19th century, then was transformed by a series of discoveries in the 20th century. Physics today may be divided loosely into classical physics and modern physics.

M-theory is a theory in physics that unifies all consistent versions of superstring theory. Edward Witten first conjectured the existence of such a theory at a string theory conference at the University of Southern California in 1995. Witten's announcement initiated a flurry of research activity known as the second superstring revolution. Prior to Witten's announcement, string theorists had identified five versions of superstring theory. Although these theories initially appeared to be very different, work by many physicists showed that the theories were related in intricate and nontrivial ways. Physicists found that apparently distinct theories could be unified by mathematical transformations called S-duality and T-duality. Witten's conjecture was based in part on the existence of these dualities and in part on the relationship of the string theories to a field theory called eleven-dimensional supergravity.

In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. String theory describes how these strings propagate through space and interact with each other. On distance scales larger than the string scale, a string looks just like an ordinary particle, with its mass, charge, and other properties determined by the vibrational state of the string. In string theory, one of the many vibrational states of the string corresponds to the graviton, a quantum mechanical particle that carries the gravitational force. Thus, string theory is a theory of quantum gravity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theory of everything</span> Hypothetical physical concept

A theory of everything (TOE), final theory, ultimate theory, unified field theory or master theory is a hypothetical, singular, all-encompassing, coherent theoretical framework of physics that fully explains and links together all aspects of the universe. Finding a theory of everything is one of the major unsolved problems in physics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gravity</span> Attraction of masses and energy

In physics, gravity (from Latin gravitas 'weight') is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things that have mass. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the strong interaction, 1036 times weaker than the electromagnetic force and 1029 times weaker than the weak interaction. As a result, it has no significant influence at the level of subatomic particles. However, gravity is the most significant interaction between objects at the macroscopic scale, and it determines the motion of planets, stars, galaxies, and even light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capillary action</span> Ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces

Capillary action is the process of a liquid flowing in a narrow space in opposition to or at least without the assistance of any external forces like gravity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnus effect</span> Deflection in the path of a spinning object moving through a fluid

The Magnus effect is an observable phenomenon commonly associated with a spinning object moving through a fluid. A lift force acts on the spinning object. The path of the object may be deflected in a manner not present when the object is not spinning. The deflection can be explained by the difference in pressure of the fluid on opposite sides of the spinning object. The strength of the Magnus effect is dependent on the speed of rotation of the object.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-gravity</span> Idea of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity

Anti-gravity is a hypothetical phenomenon of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to either the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or to balancing the force of gravity with some other force, such as electromagnetism and aerodynamic lift. Anti-gravity is a recurring concept in science fiction. Examples are the gravity blocking substance "Cavorite" in H. G. Wells's The First Men in the Moon and the Spindizzy machines in James Blish's Cities in Flight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siphon</span> Device involving the flow of liquids through tubes

A siphon is any of a wide variety of devices that involve the flow of liquids through tubes. In a narrower sense, the word refers particularly to a tube in an inverted "U" shape, which causes a liquid to flow upward, above the surface of a reservoir, with no pump, but powered by the fall of the liquid as it flows down the tube under the pull of gravity, then discharging at a level lower than the surface of the reservoir from which it came.

Cartoon physics or animation physics are terms for a jocular system of laws of physics that supersedes the normal laws, used in animation for humorous effect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Polchinski</span> American theoretical physicist and string theorist (1954–2018)

Joseph Gerard Polchinski Jr. was an American theoretical physicist and string theorist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giorgio Parisi</span> Italian physicist (born 1948)

Giorgio Parisi is an Italian theoretical physicist, whose research has focused on quantum field theory, statistical mechanics and complex systems. His best known contributions are the QCD evolution equations for parton densities, obtained with Guido Altarelli, known as the Altarelli–Parisi or DGLAP equations, the exact solution of the Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model of spin glasses, the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang equation describing dynamic scaling of growing interfaces, and the study of whirling flocks of birds. He was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Klaus Hasselmann and Syukuro Manabe for groundbreaking contributions to theory of complex systems, in particular "for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales".

In non-technical terms, M-theory presents an idea about the basic substance of the universe. Although a complete mathematical formulation of M-theory is not known, the general approach is the leading contender for a universal "Theory of Everything" that unifies gravity with other forces such as electromagnetism. M-theory aims to unify quantum mechanics with general relativity's gravitational force in a mathematically consistent way. In comparison, other theories such as loop quantum gravity are considered by physicists and researchers to be less elegant, because they posit gravity to be completely different from forces such as the electromagnetic force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Absolute rotation</span> Rotation independent of any external reference

In physics, the concept of absolute rotation—rotation independent of any external reference—is a topic of debate about relativity, cosmology, and the nature of physical laws.

The index of physics articles is split into multiple pages due to its size.

<i>Time Reborn</i> Book by Lee Smolin

Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe is a 2013 book by the American theoretical physicist Lee Smolin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Mould</span> Science YouTuber

Steve Mould is a British educational YouTuber, author, and science presenter who is most notable for making science-related educational videos on his YouTube channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upstream contamination</span> Contaminants moving opposite of flow

Upstream contamination by floating particles is a counterintuitive phenomenon in fluid dynamics. When pouring water from a higher container to a lower one, particles floating in the latter can climb upstream into the upper container. A definitive explanation is still lacking: experimental and computational evidence indicates that the contamination is chiefly driven by surface tension gradients, however the phenomenon is also affected by the dynamics of swirling flows that remain to be fully investigated.

References

  1. Yam, Philip (July 3, 2013). "Gravity-Defying, Self-Siphoning Metal Beads Explained [Video]". Scientific American.
  2. Sick Science (2009-07-29), Newton's Beads - Cool Science Experiment , retrieved 2021-07-24
  3. 1 2 Martchenko, Ilya; Malinowski, Maciej; Oszmaniec, Michał (October 9, 2011). "Preparation to the Young Physicists' Tournaments' 2012" (PDF). International Young Physicist Tournament.
  4. 第1期-刘谦郎朗被吊起"命悬一杯" 撒贝宁对大炮求虐【加油!向未来20160703】 (in Chinese).
  5. "Problems". IYPT archive. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-03-01.
  6. 1 2 3 Gibney, Elizabeth (January 15, 2014). "Physicists explain 'gravity-defying' chain trick". Nature. doi: 10.1038/nature.2014.14523 .
  7. Mould, Steve (February 20, 2013). "Self siphoning beads". YouTube .
  8. "Amazing bead chain experiment in slow motion". YouTube . BBC Earth Unplugged. June 27, 2013.
  9. "Understanding the chain fountain: A problem-solving partnership (w/ Video)". Phys.org . Jan 15, 2014.
  10. Wade, Lizzie (14 January 2014). "Video: How the 'Chain Fountain' Defies Gravity". Science .
  11. Royal Society (2014-01-15), "Understanding the chain fountain", YouTube, retrieved 2021-07-24
  12. Biggins, J. S.; Warner, M. (15 January 2014). "Understanding the chain fountain". Proceedings of the Royal Society A . 470 (2163): 20130689. arXiv: 1310.4056 . Bibcode:2014RSPSA.47030689B. doi:10.1098/rspa.2013.0689. S2CID   37699566.
  13. Steve Mould, Investigating the "Mould Effect", TEDxNewcastle, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmFi1xhz9OQ
  14. Goodman, William (June 25, 2013). "See physics phenomenon of self siphoning beads". CBS News.
  15. Bhatia, Aatish (July 1, 2013). "The physics of that gravity-defying chain of metal beads". Wired. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  16. 1 2 Flekkøy, Eirik G.; Moura, Marcel; Måløy, Knut J. (2018). "Mechanisms of the Flying Chain Fountain". Frontiers in Physics. 6: 84. Bibcode:2018FrP.....6...84F. doi: 10.3389/fphy.2018.00084 . hdl: 10852/68287 . ISSN   2296-424X.
  17. Pantaleone, J. (2017-05-16). "A quantitative analysis of the chain fountain". American Journal of Physics. 85 (6): 414–421. arXiv: 1910.03125 . Bibcode:2017AmJPh..85..414P. doi:10.1119/1.4980071. ISSN   0002-9505. S2CID   125247401.
  18. 1 2 Biggins, J. S.; Warner, M. (2014). "Understanding the chain fountain". Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 470 (2163): 20130689. arXiv: 1310.4056 . Bibcode:2014RSPSA.47030689B. doi:10.1098/rspa.2013.0689. S2CID   37699566.

Notes

  1. Statement of problem 3. String of beads: "A long string of beads is released from a beaker by pulling a sufficiently long part of the chain over the edge of the beaker. Due to gravity the speed of the string increases. At a certain moment the string no longer touches the edge of the beaker. Investigate and explain the phenomenon.")