Tuesday, June 6, 2006

Ok, so here's one not to try at home!!!!!!


What you need

A leaf blower
Some toilet rolls
The cardboard tube from a roll of cling-film
The end of a cardboard box
Some tape

What you do

Cut a disc out of the cardboard box, larger in diameter than your toilet rolls, and cut a hole in the middle of this just large enough to pass the cardboard tube through. Do that, and tape the disc in place, so you've made what looks a bit like a very short stubby sword with a handguard. We'll call it a 'handle.'
Hold the handle with one hand, and put a toilet roll on the end your hand isn't holding. If you're doing this right, the guard should be between your hand and the toilet roll. Tilt the whole thing so the toilet roll is leaning into the guard, and finally make sure the loose flap of toilet paper is draped over the top of the roll, facing away from you.
Now, aim the leafblower high, turn it on, and very carefully bring the toilet roll up so it's just beneath the flow of air.
You should find that the airflow spools the toilet paper off the roll, sending it flying high in the air and emptying the roll in seconds. This is quite (a) funny, (b) spectacular and (c) ecologically unsound – so we’re not recommending you do it toooo often. But it’s fun while it lasts.

What's going on

The fast-moving jet of air from the leafblower is at a lower pressure than the air around it. So, when you bring the toilet paper close, the high-pressure air beneath it lifts the paper and shoves it into the airstream. It's accelerated, of course, and that sends the arc of paper spooling out across your room/playground/garden/mesmerised dog/etc.
It's a wonderfully fun trick - just make sure the cardboard disc guards your hand from the fast-spinning toilet roll. It's possible to collect a nasty friction burn if you're not careful. Believe me, I know.
Also, do think about what happens to the paper afterward. The experiment is a heap of fun, the science is solid... but the aftermath is messy.

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