Have You Seen the Physics Demo of a Physicist Tied to the Side of a Building?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a physics demonstration involving a physicist tied to the side of a building. Participants explore the implications of the demo, its educational potential, and the physics concepts involved, including forces and mass ratios.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express enthusiasm for the demo, noting its ability to illustrate competing forces.
  • One participant suggests that using a teddy bear instead of a person could make the demonstration more suitable for a school setting, raising questions about setup and audience engagement.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of rope length and mass ratios in the demonstration, indicating that these factors could significantly affect the outcome.
  • Some participants reference previous exposure to similar demonstrations, indicating a shared interest in the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the educational value of the demonstration, but there are differing opinions on its execution and suitability for various audiences. The discussion remains open-ended without a consensus on the best approach.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the need for mathematical considerations and planning in the demonstration, but specific calculations or assumptions are not detailed. The discussion does not resolve the practical implications of the demo.

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Borg said:
Astronuc beat you to it. That is a great demo. Love the way that it combines so many competing forces. :woot:

Drat! Well, I don't mind if we delete this.

Edit: why did he post this in "random thoughts"? Who read such a thread anyway?!

(Runs and hides)

Zz.
 
I think that it would be a great topic for discussion. I would love to see what's going on in detail.
 
If you replaced the real person with a teddy bear or something, this would be kind of cool for a school science demonstration kind of thing. Maybe a bit of misdirection in the form of a bucket for teddy to drop in to. Show them the setup and ask them to guess what'll happen. Not sure I'd get that right coming at it cold.

Without having done the maths, I suspect rope length is critical so you could vary that. Also the ratio of masses, I should think.

I know some people I will suggest this to...
 
Here's some of the planning that went into it.


And, the full video of the demo.
 
I saw this before I think it was on discovery channel's breaking magic.

Still a neat trick.
 

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