6/4/2002: The pitch-drop experiment

Undertoad · 06-04-2002, 11:30 AM

It doesn't look like much, but what you have there is a scientific experiment that has been in progress since 1927.

Pitch, a derivative of tar, is very much like a solid, but a Queensland scientist wanted to prove that it has "fluidic" properties. In other words, that it flows like water. It just has an extremely high viscosity.

So, in 1927, he heated some pitch and put it into a glass funnel. He let the pitch "settle" for three years, and then in 1930 he cut the bottom off the funnel. And then the pitch began to drip.

In December 1938, the first drop fell.
February 1947, the second.
April 1954, the third.
May 1962, the fourth.
August 1970, the fifth.
April 1979, the sixth.
July 1988, the seventh.

And recently, the eighth drop fell. Amazingly, nobody has ever seen a drop actually fall. They had a webcam on it for the last drop, but there was a glitch during the actual drop...!

The full story:

http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/pitchdrop/pitchdrop.shtml

MaggieL · 06-04-2002, 12:25 PM

Very, very cool.....

LordSludge · 06-04-2002, 12:31 PM

If ever there was an instance where this expression applied:

"Somebody has way too much time on their hands!"

Griff · 06-04-2002, 12:34 PM

nice product placement as well... just for a sense of scale don't you know

elSicomoro · 06-04-2002, 12:40 PM

I wonder why it took 14 years for that 8th drop to fall, given that the other drops happened about 7-9 years apart.

warch · 06-04-2002, 01:06 PM

Quote:

I wonder why it took 14 years for that 8th drop to fall

Cool years?...
This is just a wonderfully weird object. Does anyone know the estimated time to complete the experiment?

jeni · 06-04-2002, 01:14 PM

wow. so when did the scientist die? or is he not yet dead? maybe i should read the story. ahem.

jeni · 06-04-2002, 01:16 PM

okay, i read the story and still don't know. so my question, then, is...how many drops did he live to see? not see, but rather know about.

Nic Name · 06-04-2002, 01:31 PM

PARNELL, Thomas

Born Northants, England, 5 July 1881; died Brisbane 1 September 1948. Education, St. John's College, Cambridge (B.A. 1903). Tutor, Trinity College, University of Melbourne, 1904-11. Lecturer in physics University of Queensland 1911-18; professor 1919-48. A.I.F. 1917-19.

Tobiasly · 06-04-2002, 01:32 PM

I'm gonna be painting my living room soon. Maybe I'll point a webcam at the wall, so people can watch the paint dry. In the name of science.

warch · 06-04-2002, 01:48 PM

I am 4 in pitch drops. that's a lot of pitch.

lawman · 06-04-2002, 02:03 PM

here's a visual representation of the 'drip' timeline.

now, if someone could cross reference this with the average yearly temperature and humidity whereiver this thing is, maybe there would be some correlation. Of course that person would have to have much more free time than I do.

MaggieL · 06-04-2002, 02:14 PM

And I've been alive for six of them . Wow.

snubber · 06-04-2002, 02:21 PM

if you read the comment from professor mainstone here you will see that he mentions the school's decision to air-condition the hall where this experiment resides, causing it to drip much much slower.

Joe · 06-04-2002, 06:48 PM

I bet if you just heated up the funnel with a propane torch you wouldn't have to wait so long.

06-04-2002, 11:30 AM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	6/4/2002: The pitch-drop experiment It doesn't look like much, but what you have there is a scientific experiment that has been in progress since 1927. Pitch, a derivative of tar, is very much like a solid, but a Queensland scientist wanted to prove that it has "fluidic" properties. In other words, that it flows like water. It just has an extremely high viscosity. So, in 1927, he heated some pitch and put it into a glass funnel. He let the pitch "settle" for three years, and then in 1930 he cut the bottom off the funnel. And then the pitch began to drip. In December 1938, the first drop fell. February 1947, the second. April 1954, the third. May 1962, the fourth. August 1970, the fifth. April 1979, the sixth. July 1988, the seventh. And recently, the eighth drop fell. Amazingly, nobody has ever seen a drop actually fall. They had a webcam on it for the last drop, but there was a glitch during the actual drop...! The full story: http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/pitchdrop/pitchdrop.shtml

06-04-2002, 12:25 PM	#2
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	Very, very cool..... __________________ "Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune,whose words do jarre; nor his reason In frame, whose sentence is preposterous..."

06-04-2002, 12:31 PM	#3
LordSludge Geek Join Date: May 2002 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 76	If ever there was an instance where this expression applied: "Somebody has way too much time on their hands!" __________________ "Fasten your seatbelt. I saw something in a cartoon once that I want to try."

06-04-2002, 12:34 PM	#4
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	nice product placement as well... just for a sense of scale don't you know __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

06-04-2002, 02:03 PM	#12
lawman unerringly questioning Join Date: May 2002 Location: Whitehorse, Yukon Posts: 100	timeline here's a visual representation of the 'drip' timeline. now, if someone could cross reference this with the average yearly temperature and humidity whereiver this thing is, maybe there would be some correlation. Of course that person would have to have much more free time than I do. Attached Images

06-04-2002, 12:40 PM	#5
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I wonder why it took 14 years for that 8th drop to fall, given that the other drops happened about 7-9 years apart.

06-04-2002, 01:14 PM	#7
jeni is stuck on altair-4 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: santa cruz, california Posts: 514	wow. so when did the scientist die? or is he not yet dead? maybe i should read the story. ahem.

06-04-2002, 01:16 PM	#8
jeni is stuck on altair-4 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: santa cruz, california Posts: 514	okay, i read the story and still don't know. so my question, then, is...how many drops did he live to see? not see, but rather know about.

06-04-2002, 01:31 PM	#9
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	PARNELL, Thomas Born Northants, England, 5 July 1881; died Brisbane 1 September 1948. Education, St. John's College, Cambridge (B.A. 1903). Tutor, Trinity College, University of Melbourne, 1904-11. Lecturer in physics University of Queensland 1911-18; professor 1919-48. A.I.F. 1917-19.

06-04-2002, 01:32 PM	#10
Tobiasly hot Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Jeffersonville, IN (near Louisville) Posts: 892	I'm gonna be painting my living room soon. Maybe I'll point a webcam at the wall, so people can watch the paint dry. In the name of science.

06-04-2002, 01:48 PM	#11
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	I am 4 in pitch drops. that's a lot of pitch.

06-04-2002, 02:14 PM	#13
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	And I've been alive for six of them . Wow. __________________ "Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune,whose words do jarre; nor his reason In frame, whose sentence is preposterous..."

06-04-2002, 02:21 PM	#14
snubber Person Who Has Posted Join Date: May 2002 Location: Washington State Posts: 2	14 years... if you read the comment from professor mainstone here you will see that he mentions the school's decision to air-condition the hall where this experiment resides, causing it to drip much much slower.

06-04-2002, 06:48 PM	#15
Joe Master of the Domain Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: AZ Posts: 221	14 years is a long time I bet if you just heated up the funnel with a propane torch you wouldn't have to wait so long. __________________ One planet, many worlds.

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