Marble spiralling inside a cylinder- New video

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  • #2
Huh, very interesting!

Sometimes when I'm shooting basketball hoops, my shot will be off-center but inside the hoop. If it catches the rim just right (just wrong?), I can see several rotations around the inside of the rim before the ball finally falls through or gets spit back out. Several times I could have sworn that the center of gravity of the basketball was below the plane of the rim before it got shot back out, and maybe this video shows an explanation of why that can happen. It will still be frustrating to miss like that, but at least now I'll know why...
 
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Likes Swamp Thing, A.T., Drakkith and 1 other person
  • #4
A.T. said:
Steve Mould made a follow up video
With a contributing video from you, which inspired this one, if I may add ;).
 

Related to Marble spiralling inside a cylinder- New video

What is the video "Marble spiralling inside a cylinder" about?

The video demonstrates the motion of a marble as it spirals down the inner surface of a cylindrical container. It explores the physics behind the marble's trajectory, including concepts such as centripetal force, friction, and angular momentum.

What scientific principles are illustrated in the video?

The video illustrates several key scientific principles, including Newton's laws of motion, centripetal force, friction, gravity, and conservation of angular momentum. It shows how these forces interact to influence the marble's path as it spirals inside the cylinder.

Why does the marble spiral instead of falling straight down?

The marble spirals due to the initial tangential velocity it has when it starts moving. As it moves along the inner surface of the cylinder, the wall exerts a centripetal force that constantly changes the marble's direction, causing it to follow a spiral path rather than falling straight down.

How does friction affect the marble's motion?

Friction between the marble and the inner surface of the cylinder slows down the marble's motion over time. It converts some of the marble's kinetic energy into heat, causing the marble to gradually lose speed and eventually come to a stop if the cylinder is long enough.

Can the spiral motion be mathematically modeled?

Yes, the spiral motion of the marble can be mathematically modeled using equations of motion that account for forces such as gravity, friction, and centripetal force. Differential equations can be used to describe the marble's velocity and position as functions of time, providing a detailed understanding of its trajectory.

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