Finding the Viscosity of Pitch

ColdChrist writes "The University of Queensland has a page about a 72-year-old experiment on the fluidity of pitch. There's a webcam where you can try to become the first person ever to see a drop of the pitch fall; eight drops have fallen since 1930 and the ninth is now forming. The experiment 'demonstrates the fluidity and high viscosity of pitch, a derivative of tar once used for waterproofing boats. At room temperature pitch feels solid - even brittle - and can easily be shattered with a blow from a hammer', but it does flow, as the pictures demonstrate." I know this is going to bring up glass comparisons, so we'll head those off: glass is not a fluid.

Comments

Another interesting experiment.

[Anonymous Coward]

Another experiment which may be longer-running is that in any window with old glass. You might notice that in old windows, glass is thicker at the bottom. This is because glass too like the pitch, is actually a liquid and has flowed down during the ages

Re:Did michael read his "glass is not a fluid" lin

[dillon_rinker]

Your objection is just semantics. Didn't you read the article? Michael obviously meant to say that glass doesn't flow.