On October 15, Professor Wolfs used "his" rocket wheel chair
for the first time on Hoyt Hall. As part of our discussion on conservation
of linear momentum in the absence of external forces, we focussed on
the how conservation of linear momentum applies to rocket propulsion.
As long as we consider the linear momentum of both the rocket and the
exhaust, linear momentum will be conserved.
To demonstrate this principle, we installed two fire extuingishers on
a wheel chair. The exhaust of the fire extinguishers travels in one direction,
and in order to conserve linear momentum, the wheel chair is pushed in
the other direction. It works! Click on the following images to see the
video clips.
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| First test inside of our new wheel chair. The demonstration
clearly showed how exhaust moving in one direction moves the chair in the
other direction. Notice the effect of the exhaust on the trash cans! |
Try it the other way! You see how much fun it is to teach
physics! Of course, none of this would be possible without the support
of our staff: Thang Nguyen and Mike Culver! |
What happens if we put a vertical plate behing the exhaust? Think about the
analogy of someone standing on a sailboat, blowing against the sail: will the
boat move? The answer is no, but let's see if we can demonstrate that. Click
on the following image to see the video clip of what happens.
Videos made outside can be found by clicking here.
Last updated on
Saturday, October 17, 2009 22:15
