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The Physics of a Rolling Rubber Band

sciencehabit writes "Modern physics can get complicated. Sure, researchers know exactly what forces act on a ball rolling down an incline — an experiment that helped Galileo develop universal laws for movement and acceleration. But what happens when a deformable shape like a rubber band rolls around? A new study reveals that the faster it goes, the more squashed it gets (video included)."

3 of 226 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Physics... by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: 0, Troll

    Oh, if you don't understand the math at all, then you are totally qualified to write articles for sciencemag.org.

    Here is how it basically works:

    1) You made some dull experiment, very simple setup, that leads nowhere, and allows no data collection at all.
    2) Write down "Woah, awesome, if were like it would be, like, great, amirite?
    3) Publish.
    4) ???
    5) Get to the frontpage of /.

    The article reminded me of this: http://xkcd.com/171/

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  2. Re:Brakes, please. Please? by simcop2387 · · Score: 0, Troll

    don't forget about the other three!

    you/yew/ewe!

  3. Re:BZZT! WRONG! by gbutler69 · · Score: 0, Troll

    OK, so where is the force coming from to overcome air resistance to keep imparting a tangential component to the velocity? The rock has an instantaneous velocity tangent to the circle. That means it will experience an opposing force in the opposite direction also tangent to the circle that will slow the velocity causing it to lose momentum and stop. Now, what is overcoming this air resistance? Well, I'm pulling the string slightly (ever so) ahead of a line perfectly perpendicular from the objects instantaneous velocity and the center of the circle about which I am causing it to revolve. So, no, I am not wrong. You are over-simplifying and ignoring the obvious. YOU ARE WRONG! You call me wrong and fail to point out why. You are an arrogant asshole that gives scientists and mathematicians a bad name. You are the reason why people tend not to believe proper scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. You are so certain you are right because you are so EDUMACATED that you fail to see the obvious flaws in your reasoning.

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