Breaking a drinking straw with karate chop

  • Thread starter guy3288
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In summary: I had not thought of that. Thanks for bringing it up.In summary, the straw breaks easily when threading it through a piece of ice and if you chop it at the point of contact.
  • #1
guy3288
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try do a karate chop on a drinking plastic straw with its 2 ends held tight by a friend.
You just can't break it no matter how hard you hit it with your bare hand.
it's just too resilient, or it will just slip off your friend's grips.



However if you just thread the straw through a piece of ice (ring shaped ) and you do a karate chop on that piece of ice, the straw suddenly become so "brittle" and it will break easily.

Can anybody explain why this is so??

First i thought the straw was cut by the ice, but then on closer look i found that was not the case.

So i am looking for experts in physics to help. Anybody please?
 
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  • #2
guy3288 said:
So i am looking for experts in physics to help. Anybody please?

Firstly, allow me the luxury of welcoming you to these forums! Welcome.

Secondly, I think you'll find that most folks here have not tried what you are talking about, nor are most of us adequately equipped to reproduce the test (I have neither a ring of ice, nor a friend).

Could you possibly provide some evidence that what you're claiming is true? A video would be very helpful. Otherwise, maybe you could give us a couple of diagrams or a more detailed description of the setup.

Although this might belong in a different forum here, I'll treat it as though it is a claim requiring debunking (since I'm not sure I believe the claim; its very interesting).
 
  • #3
hi there, thanks for your response.

What i wrote up there is definitely true. I saw it with my own eyes, and it is easily reproduceable. What i am looking for is the explanation behind that 'feat'. How that piece of ice could help in breaking the straw.

I saw my kids doing it and apparently they have learned it from their friends in school.


The straw that we use over here is not that thick huge straw that you see used in fast food restaurants like Mc Donald Or KFC.s but the ordinary straw used by roadside food hawker and also coffee shops.

And the edible ice mentioned here is the commercially available type which looks like a cylindrical ring.

I am sure some of you in here would have seen the type of drinking straw and the edible ice i mentioned.

I will try to take some pictures and upload it here if that is allowed.
 
  • #4
guy3288 said:
hi there, thanks for your response.

What i wrote up there is definitely true. I saw it with my own eyes, and it is easily reproduceable. What i am looking for is the explanation behind that 'feat'. How that piece of ice could help in breaking the straw.

Welcome to PF.

You don't need to provide any evidence for this one, but pictures would help to clarify the situation.

Do you chop the straw at the point of contact for ice ring?
 
  • #6
Polymers tend to become brittle at lower temperatures. It's very possible that the ice cools the straw to the point that the middle section becomes brittle and easy to break.
 
  • #7
Can you try it with something else cylindrical yet rigid?
-Perhaps the edges give a point for which your hand to apply the force, thus greatest pressure on a single line instead of the width of your soft hand.

Does it shatter the ice? I'd assume not as the ice should be pretty thick.

Can you do it with a few seconds of putting the ice on the straw? If not this would suggest the above(day2008) comment.

Go freeze a pen in an icecube and try this :)
 
  • #8
dav2008 said:
Polymers tend to become brittle at lower temperatures. It's very possible that the ice cools the straw to the point that the middle section becomes brittle and easy to break.

This. İn fact most materials become more brittle in lower temperatures. I'm sure everyone has seen rubber bands or leaves shattering like glass after being dipped into liquid nitrogen. If not do a quick youtube search it's pretty interesting to watch if you've never seen it before.
 
  • #9
thanx for the comments.

so it's possibly the cooling effect and may be also the edges of the ice that allow more concentrated force to be applied.

it would be nice to do an experiment as you suggested, use ice and another similarly rigid ring to compare. How about marking the straw at the points that correspond to the edges of the ring and see if the breakage occur at those points?

Interesting...
 

What is the science behind breaking a drinking straw with a karate chop?

Breaking a drinking straw with a karate chop involves the transfer of energy from the hand to the straw. When the hand makes contact with the straw, the force of the chop increases the pressure on a small area of the straw, causing it to break.

How much force is needed to break a drinking straw with a karate chop?

The amount of force needed to break a drinking straw with a karate chop varies depending on the strength and technique of the person performing the chop. On average, it takes about 50-100 Newtons of force to break a standard plastic drinking straw.

Why does the straw break in a particular spot?

The straw breaks in a specific spot because of the design of the straw. Most straws have a weak point along the length of the straw, often near the bendable portion. This weak spot makes it easier for the straw to break when pressure is applied.

Can any type of straw be broken with a karate chop?

Generally, plastic drinking straws are the easiest to break with a karate chop due to their design and material. However, some thicker or sturdier straws may require more force to break. It is not recommended to try breaking glass or metal straws with a karate chop as they can be dangerous.

Is breaking a drinking straw with a karate chop harmful to the environment?

While breaking a drinking straw with a karate chop may not seem environmentally friendly, it is a small and harmless activity. As long as the pieces of the straw are disposed of properly, there should be no negative impact on the environment.

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