Rotating Bucket of Water
Today did an enjoyable little experiment involving a rotating bucket of water. Isaac Newton did a similar experiment, suspending a bucket of water on a rope, twisting the rope, and letting the bucket go. The water is still at first, then starts to spin, and its surface becomes concave as it spins. When the rope unwinds, the bucket stops spinning, but the water continues for a while, and its surface continues to be concave for that while.
My version involved a bucket on a record turntable, instead of suspended from a rope, and I was able to take photographs of the water level at the side of the bucket. I'm still working out what is the best way to record such experiments, and have placed the full description and photos on my little-used blog at Gandi: http://kensview.mirror1.org/post/2010/05/05/Rotating-Bucket-of-Water
We sure have things easier than Newton.
My version involved a bucket on a record turntable, instead of suspended from a rope, and I was able to take photographs of the water level at the side of the bucket. I'm still working out what is the best way to record such experiments, and have placed the full description and photos on my little-used blog at Gandi: http://kensview.mirror1.org/post/2010/05/05/Rotating-Bucket-of-Water
We sure have things easier than Newton.