Drop Definition and 876 Threads

A drop tower or big drop is a type of amusement ride incorporating a central structure or tower. Drop towers vary in height, passenger capacity, lift type, and brake type. Many are custom-made, although there are some mass-produced designs. Riders experience free-fall initially, followed by rapid heavy deceleration.
With most drop towers, a gondola carrying riders is lifted to the top of a large vertical structure, then released to free-fall down the tower. Brakes slow the gondola as it approaches the bottom of the ride. Some designs expand on this concept with features such as rotating gondolas, or several bounces before coming to rest.
Most drop towers require child riders to exceed a minimum height; limits vary widely depending upon the nature of the tower, with a 9-metre (30 ft) tower for smaller children from 95 centimetres (37 in) tall, and a 35-metre (115 ft) tower having a 130-centimetre (51 in) restriction.Drop towers use a magnetic braking system to slow the carriage quickly and smoothly once it reaches the bottom of the tower. This system is fail-safe because magnets do not need to be powered by electricity or other sources; they work intrinsically by the laws of magnetism.

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  1. T

    The Great Egg Drop Contest: Design a Protection Device

    An egg is hard, but yet delicate food that people have been making contests of, for many years. But i am part of one that i lack the physics to figure out the perfect device here are the simple rules of this contest. Holy Omelets Batman… It’s the Egg Drop Contest! Design a egg protection...
  2. B

    Calculating G-Shock of Dropping 5kg Box from 20m

    If I drop a box of the side of a building (20m) that is 5kg, what is the G shock that this will experience? F=mg is the force, obviously. Based on basics, I'm coming up with 1G, but that doesn't make sense - the shock is going to be bigger based on the height. Say I determine the energy...
  3. J

    Millikan's oil drop experiment-terminal velocity.

    Homework Statement Find the terminal velocity of an oil drop with radius 1x10^-6 m at 20 degress under zero field conditions. How long would it take to fall 5mm (range of microscope graticule)? Homework Equations Terminal velocity; Weight = Drag Weight = mg Assuming Stokes law holds...
  4. T

    Creating an Egg Drop Contraption: My First Try

    I was thrilled when I got the Lab Sheet for the Egg Drop! I had seen all of the older kids do it and now it was my chance! It never clicked with me that there were actual concepts and directions in play so that brings me here, making yet ANOTHER egg drop thread! Basically we are being graded...
  5. Y

    Voltage drop in an infinite wire

    Suppose I have finite wire of known resistivity. I know voltage is 0 volts at x=-1 and x=1, and 1 volt at x=0. How do I find voltage at intermediate points?
  6. T

    What Are the Dynamics of Hitting a Helicopter with Tennis Balls in Physics?

    Homework Statement You are sitting on the edge of your school with a tennis ball in your hand. Your friend is doing the same thing sitting on the ground leaning against the wall. You both see a toy helicopter going along the line of the second floor. You both decide to take the helicopter...
  7. C

    Testing Failed midsem EM exam, to drop or not to drop?

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  8. B

    How Do You Calculate Voltage Drop Over Distance?

    Homework Statement Suppose you want to run some apparatus that is 75m from an electric outlet. Each of the wires connecting your apparatus to the 100V source has a resistance per unit length of 0.0055 ohms/m. If your apparatus draws 2.5 Amps, what will be the voltage drop across the connecting...
  9. J

    Should I Drop Chemistry for a Better Chance at A* in Further Maths?

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  10. J

    Can a golf ball gain speed when it goes round the hole and doesn't drop?

    When a golf ball goes round the hole and doesn't drop (bit like an orbit), it often appears to leave the hole faster than it went in. My understanding of physics tell me that this is not possible, as any speed gained from gravity when it dips slightly into the hole, is lost when it gains height...
  11. R

    Terminal velocity of falling drop with increasing mass

    I m solving the problem in which the drop is falling from some height and its size is increasing with the rate dm/dt=kMv where v is the velocity of the drop at that instant , so we have to find the terminal velocity of the drop gained due to air drag, The problem is that if the drop gains...
  12. F

    How is a voltage drop across a resistor caused?

    Preface: Newbie here. Sorry if this has been asked before - I did have search but couldn't quite find what I was after. Also, I'm not putting this into the electrical engineering section because I don't want what will inevitably be an electrical engineer's answer =) Here goes: Voltage across...
  13. I

    Constructing the Perfect Egg Drop Device

    we are required to do an egg drop. all we are allowed to use is 2 news paper spreads, 2 m string, and masking tape. what's the best way to use these materials in order to be able to drop a hardboiled egg from a 4th floor without any cracks. thanks!
  14. D

    Pressure drop in a water manifold

    Hi all, This is what I currently have. Water chiller with a flowrate of 2GPM (Choked to 2GPM) Ti= 50F H20 Pi=55-60psi It is a closed loop system. I am looking to split 1 line at 2 GPM (55-60psi) into 8 smaller lines that will run into my cooling jacket. All 8 lines are same length...
  15. R

    How Long Does It Take for an Oil Drop to Travel Between Charged Plates?

    Homework Statement A pair of horizontal parallel plates are placed a small distance, 4.50 mm, apart in air. Each plate is rectangular with a width of 10.0 cm, and length of 46.0 cm. The potential on the upper plate relative to the lower plate is 1.03 × 103 V. A tiny drop of oil with an...
  16. T

    Calculating Weight Drop Impact at 45ft with 16.5 ppg Mud

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  17. S

    Leading Power Factor - Voltage drop

    Hi, I am hoping you can help me understand this concept. I've always known that generators operating a leading power factor lowers voltage drop and a lagging power factor increases voltage rise (as seen here...
  18. D

    Does Newtons of an Egg drop vary accordingly to height?

    According to my knowledge, I am able to apply Newton's second law on an egg for an egg drop; the resulted force from that can would be the force which occurs when it hits the ground. That force would also be reflected when it hits the ground according to Newton's third law. What is confusing...
  19. C

    Simulating Core Drops: Cement Cubes at Gulf of Mexico Oil Conduits

    As previously described,* might one drop a 10x10x10 ft cement cube at 15-20 ft from Gulf of Mexico oil/gas conduit. The intent is to seal up such conduit extending down ~1000 ft below sediment surface. The non-compressible fluid collapsing and sealing soft metal casing and compressible gaseous...
  20. C

    Core Drop: A Simulation for Sealing Oil/Gas Conduits and Beyond

    Core Drop As previously described, might one drop a 10x10x10 ft cement cube at 15-20 ft from Gulf of Mexico oil/gas conduit. The intent is to seal up such conduit extending down ~1000 ft below sediment surface. The non-compressible fluid collapsing and sealing soft metal casing and...
  21. M

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  22. I

    Vertical Drop how to find the speed?

    Homework Statement The Tower of Doom at Six Flags America lifts its riders to a height of 42.7 m, then releases them to free fall for 21.6m. How fast are the riders traveling before the magnetic induction braking system starts to slow them down?Homework Equations t = \sqrt{}2d/g The Attempt...
  23. W

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    Homework Statement A little while ago I made a thread about the drop of a bullet due to gravity on a bullet with a constant velocity. Constant velocity is unrealistic, so I am going for a little more realism here. I am doing this assuming that I have detailed information about distance...
  24. C

    Robert Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment

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  25. C

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  26. S

    Explaination of voltage drop across resistors

    Homework Statement I want to know that if there is a voltage drop across a resistor, why is it that voltage increases as resistance increases (Ohm's law)? Homework Equations None. The Attempt at a Solution N/A
  27. A

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    Homework Statement The circuit has a battery Voltage of 30V, a resistor of R1(8ohms), R2 (2Ohms) and R3 (4ohms) in series. Calculate the voltage drop over R1 Homework Equations Please give me the proper equation of this? The one I've got says you take 30-8I-2I-4I=0 Wich gives you...
  28. T

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    Hello, What would happen if I sent an electron into a neutral black hole? Assume basic (undergraduate) knowledge about black holes. I have studied in some details the Reissner-Nordstrom solution including maximal extension using Kruskal coordinates. Thank you!
  29. E

    Medical DSM-V plans to drop Asperger's, it's just Autism with severity

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  30. W

    Is my simplified bullet drop equation accurate for long-range shooting?

    Homework Statement I was wondering if you guys could see if my equation on bullet drop is correct. I know there are more factors than what I am presenting, but this is only a simplified version... The distance an object with 0 initial vertical velocity falls is d_{drop}=\frac{1}{2}gt^{2}...
  31. B

    Vertical Drop rides at amusement parks

    Homework Statement Has anyone ever been on one of these. (I admit I have always been too chicken.) Can anyone explain to me what was felt at the bottom of the first drop and the physics why that was so. Also, estimate the time when the car began to slow down as a fraction of the total...
  32. B

    Incredibly Difficult Egg Drop Challenge

    Okay, I am totally baffled here. For our final project in Algebra we have one class period to build an egg drop carrier. The egg will be dropped from 8 feet, and we have VERY LIMITED materials. - 8 Straws - 1 6x6 Piece of Thick Paper - 3 Tissues - 2 ft. of Masking Tape Another rule is that...
  33. I

    Deducing the Elementary Charge from Milikan's Oil Drop Experiments

    Homework Statement In an early set of experiments, Milikan observed that the following measure charges, among others, appeared at different times on a single oil drop. What value of elementary charge can be deduced from these data? 1) 6.563 x 10^-19 C 2) 8.204 x 10^-19 C 3) 11.50 x...
  34. A

    Voltage drop and current for each resistor

    Homework Statement heres a picture of the problem. Please don't give me the answer just tell me what are the steps to complete it. thanks. http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn296/alan1592/download-1.jpg Homework Equations V=IR The Attempt at a Solution 1/6+1/3=2 Ohms
  35. S

    How can hydrostatic pressure drop to zero?

    Hello everyone, If this is a vessel the hydrostatic pressure would drop along the vessel due to resistance. My question is why does hydrostatic pressure drop if hydrostatic pressure is due to gravity. Gravity is always there, even if the molecules lose hydrostatic energy, they would gain it...
  36. M

    Designing the Perfect Egg Drop Project for Physics Class

    So we have an egg drop project due at the end of the semester for my introductory physics class. We're dropping it from the second story, which is about 3 meters down I believe. The materials we are given are 20 drinking straws, 30 cm of tape, and 1 8x11 piece of paper that we can cut/fold and...
  37. E

    Calculating resistance from voltage drop

    On a test in college I was asked to find the current flowing through a resistor and lightbulb on a simple circuit with a battery, resistor and lightbulb. I was told the resistance of the resistor and was given a voltmeter so I measured the voltage across each of the components but when it came...
  38. 1

    Graph for Domino Drop Experiment

    Homework Statement I'm doing an experiment on the relationship between the time it takes for a line of dominos to drop and the constant distance between each domino. I plan to try different distances to get different times, but I don't know what my graph should look like, nor do I know if a...
  39. Valour549

    How Long for Air Pressure to Drop 30% in Space Capsule with a Hole?

    Air pressure drop in Space (please help!) Homework Statement A space capsule, which may be treated as a sphere of radius 10 m, is hit by a micrometeorite which makes a hole of diameter 2mm in its skin. Estimate how long it will take for the air pressure to drop by 30%. (Answer should be...
  40. S

    Rate of air pressure drop in a reservoir with a hole to a vacuum

    Homework Statement A space capsule, which may be treated as a sphere of radius 10m, is hit by a micrometeorite which makes a hole of diameter 2mm in its skin. Estimate how long it will take for the air pressure to drop by 30%. Avogadro's number is about 6 \times 10^{23} Homework Equations...
  41. T

    Stabalizing an egg drop project

    Homework Statement I have designed an egg drop project that performs just as I had hoped and portected the egg perfectly. I would need to make the object as stable as possible while it is falling. My container is the foam molds that held the screen for my computer. The structure of the foam...
  42. M

    No Voltage Drop Inside a Wire: Examining Electric Potential & Kinetic Energy

    My textbook says that electrons in a wire begin with electric potential energy- they are then accelerated by the electric field and their potential is converted to kinetic. Once inside a resistor, they collide with molecules and their kinetic energy is converted to thermal energy. However, it...
  43. Y

    Creative Egg Drop Project Ideas without Restrictions | Homework Help

    Homework Statement So, as you all know, everyone has to do an egg drop project sometime. Well, I got mine today. Yes, I know there are other similar topics, but they all the ones I found had a bunch of restrictions that didn't apply. Rules: -Any materials may be used -no kits -no...
  44. P

    Orifice design for pressure drop

    When designing an orifice plate to reduce the pressure of a constant flowing liquid, is it best to have one large hole in the center or multiple smaller holes? One example: Pipe diameter = 10 inches, Flow = 2800 gpm water, pressure drop = 150 psi, temperature = 115 F. The hole diameter...
  45. C

    Creating a Popsicle Stick Parachute: The Egg Drop Challenge

    Okay so we are going to drop an egg from three stories high. The only materials we are allowed to use is popsicle sticks, glue, string, and garbage bags...HELP!
  46. T

    Calculate voltage drop for a circuit

    Homework Statement Homework Equations V=IR (Ohm's Law) The Attempt at a Solution Now I'm able to get V=0 for when R=0 but I'm not sure as to how to solve for I when R=0. Can I ignore the 10 Ohm resistor as it's a short circuit as R=0.
  47. A

    Millikan oil drop experiment potential difference

    Homework Statement in a Millikan oil drop experiment, a uniform electric filed of 1.92 x 10^5 N/C is maintained in a region between two plates separated by 1.5 cm. Find the potential difference between the plates. Homework Equations mg = q x E The Attempt at a Solution in order to...
  48. D

    Resistor currect and voltage drop in a circuit.

    Consider this circuit with R1 = 30 ohm, R2 = 10 ohm, R3 = 10 ohm, R4 = 20 ohm, R5 = 60 ohm. (the circuit is attached) A. What is the current across the resistor R2, if a voltage of 110 Volt is applied to the two terminals at the bottom of the figure? B. What is the voltage drop across R2...
  49. S

    Blood Pressure Drop: Understanding Mechanisms

    Hello! Ive been trying to understand mechanisms of blood pressure and so far the more I read the more confusing it gets. What I really don't understand is this - why does the pressure drop is largest in arterioles? The physiology book I use says that they constitute a high resistance and as...
  50. S

    Can You Make a Telescope Using Water Drops?

    Is it posible to make a telescope using water drops? (water drops are to be on transparent plastic or glass, set at desired distance; convex lense is a free drop, concave is a water drop in a ring (because of surface tension))
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