INTRODUCTION: People love consistency. Consistency is comforting; and it is pleasant to know what to expect when certain events occur. For example, when something goes up it comes down; and we are all happy to agree that this is due to the defining nature of gravity. If you see an object going upwards, you can safely expect it to take a similar trajectory back down to the ground; and you’d be right to do so under most circumstances. Unless of course you are talking about self-siphoning beads. The phenomena of self-siphoning beads, sometimes referred to as “The Chain Fountain”, is one that confounds many eyes upon first sight. One would expect a chain of beads spilling out of a beaker to simply roll over the edge and fall to the ground. However, the chain of beads will actually begin flowing above the beaker forming a large siphon like arc with twists and whirls that seem to defy the laws of physics. This report outlines my investigation into this phenomenon, where I explore how the fountain effect is influenced by numerous variables as well as discuss the underlying physical cause behind the formation of the chain siphon. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE AND DATA ANALYSIS: The variables I chose to investigate in my mission to better understand the physics behind the self-siphoning beads were how the properties of the chain, the properties of the beaker, and the vertical distance from the floor all influence the formation of the chain fountain. I performed a series of tests each with a different configuration of variables and recorded both visual and numerical data. An outline of the variables is given in the following paragraphs. To test how the properties of the chain affect the formation of the chain fountain, I performed testing with four different types of chain-like members shown below: Figure 1. Different chain- like members used for testing The .173-inch and .125-inch ball chains (also referred to as #10 and #6 ball chains) were chosen to provide a direct comparison on the influence of ball-size in creating the chain fountain effect. The chain link necklace was added to provide insight on whether beads were necessary to create the self-siphoning effect and to explore whether or not the phenomenon was unique specifically to ball chains. The strand of wick was chosen to be the one non-linked member of this group and was chosen for its stiffness and weight compared to yarn, string, shoelaces, etc. To explore how the properties of the beaker effect the formation of the chain siphon, the following beakers/containers were used throughout testing: Figure 2.
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Different containers used to test the influence of the beaker on the chain fountain effect
The logic behind the different choices of containers was to answer two primary questions:
(1) How does the diameter of the opening effect the formation/behavior of the chain siphoning? (2) How does the height of the container effect the formation/behavior of the chain siphoning? The selection of containers above contains three different categories of container, each of which was tested at different heights and with different chains. The three categories are: Tall Large Opening container, Tall Small Opening container, and Short Large Opening container. To determine how the vertical distance from the floor effects the chain fountain, testing was performed at three different heights. The first group of tests were performed at a height of 44 inches (~3.6 feet) from the side of a table: Figure 3. Test setup for Test location 1 The second group of tests were performed from the top of a shelf at a height of 68.5 inches (~ 5.7 feet): Figure 4. Test setup for test location 2 The third and final tests were performed off the side of a balcony, at a height …show more content…
It was described that the chain must make a looped path to change direction during which is was projected above the lip of the beaker. This explanation, however, is incorrect and the real explanation depends on a force one might be quick to miss. Essentially, the spiraling siphoning effect is a result of not only the pulling of the chain but the pushing of the beads off the bottom of the pile. If we imagine each link of the change being modeled like this one below, each upward pull of the chain not only pulls the link up but also induces a
Different containers used to test the influence of the beaker on the chain fountain effect
The logic behind the different choices of containers was to answer two primary questions:
(1) How does the diameter of the opening effect the formation/behavior of the chain siphoning? (2) How does the height of the container effect the formation/behavior of the chain siphoning? The selection of containers above contains three different categories of container, each of which was tested at different heights and with different chains. The three categories are: Tall Large Opening container, Tall Small Opening container, and Short Large Opening container. To determine how the vertical distance from the floor effects the chain fountain, testing was performed at three different heights. The first group of tests were performed at a height of 44 inches (~3.6 feet) from the side of a table: Figure 3. Test setup for Test location 1 The second group of tests were performed from the top of a shelf at a height of 68.5 inches (~ 5.7 feet): Figure 4. Test setup for test location 2 The third and final tests were performed off the side of a balcony, at a height …show more content…
It was described that the chain must make a looped path to change direction during which is was projected above the lip of the beaker. This explanation, however, is incorrect and the real explanation depends on a force one might be quick to miss. Essentially, the spiraling siphoning effect is a result of not only the pulling of the chain but the pushing of the beads off the bottom of the pile. If we imagine each link of the change being modeled like this one below, each upward pull of the chain not only pulls the link up but also induces a