Understanding the chain fountain: A problem-solving partnership (w/ Video)
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - 05:31
in Mathematics & Economics
(Phys.org) —The Rutherford School Physics Partnership is giving A-level physicists a unique opportunity to tackle a real research problem. The problem of the chain fountain was revealed by BBC Science presenter Steve Mould. 2.8 million people have watched his video demonstration of a chain appearing to defy gravity by first leaping out of a pot before falling to the ground. Professor Mark Warner and Dr John Biggins have published the first formal explanation of the physics behind this puzzle in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, as they discovered that Mould's explanation was wrong..