Non-linear dependence of the height of a chain fountain on drop height

If the end of a long chain, which is contained in an elevated beaker, is dropped over the edge of the beaker and falls, it is observed that as the speed of the chain increases the chain rises to form a loop well above the top of the beaker. The name 'chain fountain' has been applied to thi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics education 2015-09, Vol.50 (5), p.564-567
Main Authors: Andrew, Y, Kearns, F, Mustafa, T, Salih, R, Ioratim-Uba, A, Udall, I, Usama, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chains
Comparative Analysis
Education
Elevated
Grounds
Mathematical models
Measurement
Names
Nonlinearity
Physics
Prediction
Science Experiments
Science Instruction
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Summary:If the end of a long chain, which is contained in an elevated beaker, is dropped over the edge of the beaker and falls, it is observed that as the speed of the chain increases the chain rises to form a loop well above the top of the beaker. The name 'chain fountain' has been applied to this phenomenon. In this study the dependence of the fountain loop height on the height the chain falls to the ground is investigated by the measurement of the heights over a range greater than those previously reported. The data are compared with earlier work and model predictions. It is found that the linear dependence of the fountain height on the fall height as predicted by the considered model is confirmed for heights below 3.5 m. However, it is observed that when the range of fall heights is extended well beyond this the dependence is strongly non-linear.
ISSN:0031-9120
1361-6552
DOI:10.1088/0031-9120/50/5/564