Comments on: Idealized Science Institute – Which ramp reaches highest final speed? https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/the-evening-pause/idealized-science-institute-which-ramp-reaches-highest-final-speed/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 02:54:28 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: John https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/the-evening-pause/idealized-science-institute-which-ramp-reaches-highest-final-speed/#comment-1622193 Mon, 01 Sep 2025 02:54:28 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=116223#comment-1622193 I thought they were going to want us to estimate the lengths of the ramps and try to factor in friction. Simple potential to kinetic energy, Blah, there was no trick or catch.

Chemistry lab for me was just a bunch of engineer monkeys mixing stuff together psudo-randomly for ‘results’ we knew they were looking for and would pass the class.

]]> By: Andi https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/the-evening-pause/idealized-science-institute-which-ramp-reaches-highest-final-speed/#comment-1622156 Sun, 31 Aug 2025 14:46:06 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=116223#comment-1622156 I did pretty well in physics because I could visualize what was happening and (most of the time) reason out what the result should be. Chemistry on the other hand – too much memorization!

]]> By: Jeff Wright https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/the-evening-pause/idealized-science-institute-which-ramp-reaches-highest-final-speed/#comment-1622134 Sun, 31 Aug 2025 08:01:29 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=116223#comment-1622134 Chemistry was tough for me…not so much the tests…but the labs..

My teacher wondered how I got a different thermometer reading than the rest of the class, even though she was looking right at me.

I could never get the bloody locker open either.
No wonder my Dad called me a jinx.

]]> By: Cotour https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/the-evening-pause/idealized-science-institute-which-ramp-reaches-highest-final-speed/#comment-1622101 Sat, 30 Aug 2025 19:15:25 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=116223#comment-1622101 This demonstration brings out the point a bit more succinctly:

https://youtu.be/4QmpKkU1OP0?si=GU5Z6m9dFAYu5W3B

]]> By: JH https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/the-evening-pause/idealized-science-institute-which-ramp-reaches-highest-final-speed/#comment-1622096 Sat, 30 Aug 2025 18:23:36 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=116223#comment-1622096 The ending velocity is the same, but the AVERAGE velocity is quite different. This is not what the quiz asks, but the underlying physics is much more interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRgxJCWBKk0

]]> By: Blackwing1 https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/the-evening-pause/idealized-science-institute-which-ramp-reaches-highest-final-speed/#comment-1622090 Sat, 30 Aug 2025 16:56:51 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=116223#comment-1622090 Now let’s do a reductio ad absurdum experiment. Build a ramp that has a huge, say 5 foot diameter, set of spirals in it as it drops to the exit level for the balls. Make it at least 4 loops before the ball exits, which will add about (lessee, pi times the diameter is the circumference) 15 feet (ignoring the .14) for each loop, making it about 60 feet longer than the other ramps.

I’ll guarantee you that the ball will be exiting that ramp at a significantly lower velocity than the rest of the ramps. All due to friction, which because these ramps are so short, doesn’t have time (length) to play a measurable role given their apparatus.

]]> By: wayne https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/the-evening-pause/idealized-science-institute-which-ramp-reaches-highest-final-speed/#comment-1622083 Sat, 30 Aug 2025 14:17:22 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=116223#comment-1622083 Cotour–
Check out some sample mechanical reasoning aptitude tests

https://www.practiceaptitudetests.com/bennett-mechanical-comprehension-tests/

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