Re: Why the planes did not crumple

On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 11:11:54 -0500, Brian Tung <brian@xxxxxxx> wrote:

LarryG wrote:
I once saw a demostration of a carrot being "sliced" by the spokes
of a rotating bicycle wheel. Moral: hard objects slice into softer
objects. Time is not a factor.

Sure it is. My friend, ex-officemate, and apparently now poker player
extraordinaire Chris Ferguson can throw ordinary playing cards through a
carrot. However, he has to impart a considerable velocity to them in
order to do so. The same card pushed gently into the carrot does indeed
bend and then fold. (He was throwing cards before he started playing
poker--he played blackjack first.)

More significantly, a carrot can then be thrown hard enough to rip a
hole in a playing card (provided it is held firmly). Again, if it is
only thrown gently, the carrot thuds against the card and falls to the
ground. If the only factor were hardness, only one of the objects
should have been able to go through the other.

Nor is time the only additional factor, either. The shape of the two
objects, how they're designed, the angle of impact--all of these also
play roles, and significant ones at that.

I'm not commenting on the larger thread subject; I'm merely surprised at
the simplistic notions being put forth as surefire physical fact.

Very good response. (I expect no less from you!;-)

However, I somewhat disagree with your main point, that time is
a factor.

In the case of the card going through the carrot, if the card
had enough momentum behind it, and struck the carrot at the
same angle, then the result would be the same, no matter what
the speed or time (all other conditions remaining the same.)

As for the carrot going through the card, you can get similar
results, if the momentum is sufficient to push the carrot
through the plane-face of the card. If the carrot strikes
the edge of the card, then it will get cut.

Again, orientation, and strength along the axis of motion
matter greatly, and not so much time.


--
Cheers,
Larry G.

Calling Austin HOME since 1982!
.

Relevant Pages

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