Why Do Headphone Wires Get Tangled in My Pocket?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the phenomenon of headphone wires tangling in pockets, exploring potential explanations and humorous theories. Participants share personal experiences and speculative ideas, seeking a physics-based understanding of the issue.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants humorously suggest that small pixies are responsible for tangling wires and creating lint in pockets.
  • One participant proposes a layered friction model, suggesting that the wires tangle due to the relative movement and friction between the layers of clothing and the wires themselves.
  • Another participant notes that tangling often occurs during the process of attempting to unravel the wires, complicating the situation further.
  • A participant mentions existing research on the topic, referencing knot theory and its relation to tangling phenomena.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the existence of a definitive physics explanation, labeling the issue as one of life's mysteries.
  • One participant describes two mechanisms of tangling: the coiling of the cable and the interaction of the ends with the loops, suggesting practical tips to minimize tangling.
  • Another participant humorously suggests that the system of headphone wires has many states, most of which are tangled.
  • Several participants discuss methods to manage headphone wires to prevent tangling, including wrapping them around devices or tying knots.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally do not reach a consensus on a definitive explanation for why headphone wires tangle, with multiple competing views and humorous theories presented throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some claims rely on assumptions about the behavior of wires and friction, and the discussion includes speculative reasoning without definitive conclusions.

JG89
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Why do they always get so tangled when they're in my pocket? I can put them in there completely untangled, then when I pull them out a couple minutes later, they're tangled up badly.
 
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Small pixies that live in the lining of your trousers do it.

They also cause biros to leak then you put them in your pocket with no lid on.
 
xxChrisxx said:
Small pixies that live in the lining of your trousers do it.

They also cause biros to leak then you put them in your pocket with no lid on.

That's right. Their droppings look exactly like lint. Ever find lint in your pocket? What the heck is causing lint to form in there, have you ever wondered that?!? No...if you've got "pocket lint," you've got pixies.
 
I'm looking for a physics explanation for this please.
 
JG89 said:
I'm looking for a physics explanation for this please.

I doubt there is one. It's one of the great mysteries of life... :-p
 
JG89 said:
I'm looking for a physics explanation for this please.

OK, if I had to venture a guess...

There are five layers in play here.

Your leg
The inner layer of the pocket
The wires
The outer layer of the pocket
Your pants

As you move, the friction between the wires and the pocket is less than that between any of the other layers, because the wires are round and they roll. So it's the one that moves, in shear. Which causes the wires to tangle. Just my opinion.
 
You know funnly enough I don't think anyone has taken the time to predict the mechansm of why wires get tangled in your pocket. I thinks its normally field under 's**t that just happens for no reason'.

Pockets are easy to explain, as you walk you jiggle the wire.

What REALLY boggles the mind is how they get tangled when you put them in a drawer all nice and neat. I think that only increases the evidence of pixies tbh.
 
My experience is that most of the tangling occurs when you attempt to unravel them. Because of the way they are bunched and tangled it is hard to tell which way to attempt to unravel them and your incorrect attempts tangle them up.
 
There has been some research on this knotty problem - see http://www.npr.org/blogs/bryantpark/2008/01/knot_theory_why_everything_tan.html" (Proceedings of the National Academy Of Sciences).
 
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  • #10
JG89 said:
I'm looking for a physics explanation for this please.

Skin effect. This is what you get for using those shoddy, thin stock cables. You need to move up to some 10 AWG silver coated oxygen free copper Litz cabling.
 
  • #11
Equate said:
I doubt there is one. It's one of the great mysteries of life... :-p

No! I got it! I got it! The answer is 42! :biggrin:
 
  • #12
Tangling occurs in two ways. You coil up the cable. In your pocket one loop can easily slip around another loop. Then when you try to untangle the outer loop tightens around the inner loop. The second effect is that the ends generally are larger (heavier) than the cable but smaller than the loops so they bounce around randomly slipping through the loops in the coil.

I found a neat set of headphones which have one of those spring loaded spools so they never get tangled. Unfortunately they don't stay in my ears well.

To minimize tangling leave the headphones plugged in your mp3 player and wrap around the device.

If you can't then fold the wire half-way and tie a loose granny knot in the middle and then wad up in pocket. When you pull it out hold by the knot and shake. The ends should be relatively untangled and you just untie the knot. (Not perfect but a controlled tangle is better than a mess).
 
  • #13
My view is: as a system it has many states only a few of which could be described as untangled and the vast majority are a tangled mess.

That and the pocket pixies...
 
  • #14
dlorde said:
There has been some research on this knotty problem - see http://www.npr.org/blogs/bryantpark/2008/01/knot_theory_why_everything_tan.html" (Proceedings of the National Academy Of Sciences).

The 2008 Ig Nobel Prize in physics. You beat me to it, dlorde.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #15
physics girl phd said:
The 2008 Ig Nobel Prize in physics. You beat me to it, dlorde.
I was a bit surprised no-one else had mentioned it - once seen, it's not easily forgotten :biggrin:
 
  • #16
jambaugh said:
To minimize tangling leave the headphones plugged in your mp3 player and wrap around the device.

Just make sure you leave enough slack that you don't break the cord at the connector.
 
  • #17
Moonbear said:
Just make sure you leave enough slack that you don't break the cord at the connector.
No, no. Make sure you tie it so tight the connector starts breaking.
 

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