Who first put a feather & ballbearing in a vacuum?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the historical origins of the experiment involving dropping a feather and a ball bearing in a vacuum, exploring who first conceptualized this experiment and when it was first utilized in educational settings.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Historical

Main Points Raised

  • One participant recalls the Apollo 15 mission where a hammer and feather were dropped, linking it to earlier experiments by Galileo with cannonballs.
  • Another participant expresses curiosity about the timeline of the feather and ball bearing experiment.
  • A participant mentions Robert Hooke's invention of a vacuum pump around 1660, suggesting a possible connection to the experiment's historical context.
  • There is a playful acknowledgment of narrowing down the timeframe to the last 350 years based on Hooke's contributions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on who first conducted the feather and ball bearing experiment or when it was first used, indicating that multiple views and uncertainties remain.

Contextual Notes

The discussion lacks specific details on the definitions of "vacuum" and the exact nature of the experiments referenced, leaving some assumptions unaddressed.

lindsayg
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I've got to really thinking about when this experiment was first done in schools...

During the Apollo 15 mission, David Scott dropped a hammer and feather - and Galileo rolled cannonballs down a slope - but does anyone know who first thought up the most simple, mind-bending school lab experiment of all time? Or when it first got used??

It's such a classic, I have to know!

:bugeye:
 
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Now I am trying to think when it was done.
 
Hooke invented a decent vacuum pump and was a contemporary of Newton
 
mgb_phys said:
Hooke invented a decent vacuum pump and was a contemporary of Newton

I like your thinking... well that was about 1660, so we've narrowed it down to the last 350 years! :wink:
 

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