What happens when a chain ladder lands on a table? Great video and concept by Andy Ruina. Let me know if you want me to post a follow up explaining the answer.
For those wondering, you see how the rods are alternating diagonal? When the downward part of the bottom rod hits the table, it bounces up, pulling the other side of the rod, and therefore that rope, downwards. Rinse and repeat with every rod, all pulling slightly downwards on the ladder, and now it's falling faster than the other.
Ty garvin is correct, although not articulate. Bro my thinking was also limited to Einstein's relative table-surface tapping step-rods' geometric gravity-center fulcrums just like you, until seeing Ty garvin's comment. Combine both of you with a small edit, and we have concise articulation.
Because when the first log hit, there was a pivot on it. It pulls the other side down and since the other side of the peg can't go down due to the string, it in turn pulls the rest of the ladder down with more force than the other one. Hence why it seems to fall faster after it collides with something.
Since the rungs are angled, the table is causing them to flatten out, which pulls down on the rung above it. This alternates left to right, gradually speeding it up. Edit: Never expected my comment to get so much attention. To elaborate a bit, one needs to understand that even the ladder on the right will speed up after it hits the ground, just like the one on the left. The only reason you see the difference is because the one on the left hit the table (higher ground) before the one on the right. Also, to better see the pulling effect, don't just watch the strings close to the table. Look closer to the top of the ladder, like two or three rungs from the top after the top comes into view. You can clearly see motion in the strings that is not seen in the ladder on the right.
Basically, as each tilted steel rod falls, it bounces up a little on impact. This causes them to gain some torque that properls the other end downward faster. The taut string on that side allows that increase in speed to pull the ladder down slightly faster, while the non-taut longer string on the other end prevents the bounce from pushing the ladder up to slow it down.
I think an important point is the centre of mass of each rung is in the middle, so when the ladder hits the lower side, the middle is essentially a pivot, which pulls the other side down.
I think he is encouraging us to come up with the answer ourselves. It’s better to learn how to process information and solve a problem rather than just absorbing what we’re told.
This happens because each rung on the ladder is tilted. As each rung hits the table it pulls the string it's attached to downward a bit, causing the ladder to fall faster.
Because the one hitting the table is pulled down essentially because they are angled and thus the strings that hit the table already are pulling slightly.
When the angled rings hit the table they exert a tiny accelerating force on one string, via angular momentum. When the next ring hits, it tugs a tiny bit on the other side string. So you get a series of tiny angular momentum tugs on the strings, adding to the g acceleration.
@@MisterFinny well that's not quite it because if you look, the top rung of the l ladder is lower on the left side so if you remove the ladder pieces and even the table, that left side ladder will still hit the ground first. it because the rungs are angled, so if you look at the string on the opposite side of where the ladder hits it tugs on the string pulling it down slightly faster.
The angled sticks are the key. The center of mass of each stick is in the middle. When the lower end of the stick hits, the rest of the stick rotates around the center of its mass. The upper end of the stick moves down faster, and pulls on the rest of the ladder.
Seen this trick at a circus once. He has a magnet under the table. However the rods are plastic. What he is actually doing is pulling the table up towards the ladders since the magnet is moving towards a 20ton iron piece just out of frame above. Quite neat trick in its simplicity.
It’s even crazier, because if you look really carefully at the string, when the long side hits the table, it causes a wave that travels up the string, pulling it damn word, and then the more sticks that fall the more each wave is reinforced on its string
Since everyone has a long and over-complicated answer: - Ladder steps are angled. - One side of the ladder step hits the floor first. - Creates a torque (rotating force). - Torque creates tension in the shorter string. - The ladder falls slightly faster.
@@denske1272 Not sure I understand what you mean, but the whole ladder remains reasonably stable because the force is not too strong and they alternate sides with each step that hits the floors, so you can't see very well the individual effect of each step, only the overall acceleration over the remaining falling ladder.
The angled sticks ensure that tension transfer is not uniform at both edges in the next stick. This, in a way, generates torque, and this torque guarantees that the upcoming stick is pulled down faster. The pulling force accumulates and is most noticeable at the last stick.
When the ladder hits the table, it may seem to fall faster at first, but it's actually slowing down because of the table's resistance. Meanwhile, the ladder falling freely keeps its speed until it hits the ground. So, even though the one hitting the table looks faster initially, it's actually slowing down quicker due to the resistance.
A key to this trick is the alternating slanted bars. One end of a bar hitting the table causes the other end to pull the short string due to the rotation around the center of gravity of the bar. The short string is pulled and in turn the next bar is pulled slightly. As a result, the ladder experiences more pull (downward force) compared with the other ladder.
Because the rungs are at an angle. Once they hit the table there’s a rebound effect that causes more tension on one side than the other. The tension yields a secondary “pulling” force that acts in conjunction with gravity, therefore speeding up the time it takes to hit the table which is higher than the other ladder.
I think this happened because the energy created by gravity pulling on the strings couldn't dissipate 100% when the connected parts of the line fell on the table, and because the connected parts that I'll call the steps were diagonal, the part of the energy that wasn't absorbed by the table somehow was converted into a force that made the step have a vector that pushed the end that touches first on the table/other step being pushed to the opposite side, forcing the other side of the step down, and since the step that forced the other one down has a longer line, that side will not be affected until the same thing happens to the other, in short, the table made the sides with longer lines pull the ones where the line is shorter, accelerating the fall of the structure as a whole since the steps are in opposite diagonals until the end of the structure.
Because the center of mass of the one on the left changed. The cm of the 2 objects is still falling at the same velocity but by stopping the one on the left it's CM will go upper. (Sorry for my English)
Okay , Here is my Attempted Educated guess : short answer : The increased acceleration comes from the gravitational potential energy turned into kinetic energy which works only in the special case of the ladder steps being in the way they are in the video . Details : The the special unparallel arrangement of the steps gives rise to an emergent property where parts of the surfaces of the step cylinder hit the ground at different times leading to acceleration of the other side of the step as a result of the effect of torque generated when the first side of the step hit the ground , this pulls the side of the step above and this effect compounds as more and more step hit the ground leading to the perception the last step falling with increased acceleration where the actually the acceleration is a step wise acceleration and not a continuous like gravitational but just smooth enough to trick the human eyes persistence of smoothness of acceleration / jerk /ms^-3 Experiment suitable for testing this hypothesis : a ladder with steps that are parallel to each other or any other falling linkage that doesn't share this special property. Experiment footage : this experiment too is on Dr. Andy Ruina's CZcams Channel , a chain instead of angled ladder is falling (in the shorts section) Thought Process : This effect is too big for the literature to haven't already captured in case of this effect also being present in the case of normal ladders , so the peculiar arrangement must be the culprit here and to gain further leads , Dr. Andy Ruina's channel would probably be a good lead for more footage and experiments and it was but there was no explanation there . Have a nice day Arnab
The thing to point out is that the ladder rungs are angled. Once the angled ladder rungs hit the table there is a pulling action that takes place when one side of the rung hits, and the other side is pulled down because of the impact. This causes the rope of the latter on the left side to be pulled down faster.
@@rangerstyleisme If the rungs are straight then there's no torque (twisting force) being generated when each rung hits the floor, so the fall rate will be unchanged.
Thank You everyone, I didn't catch it at first but because the rungs on the ladder not evenly spaced on both sides. When a rung hits the ground, the uneven distribution acts to pull the next rung on the shorter side, accelerating the ladder's fall.
I figured it out after watching it a second time! I was definitely perplexed at first, but it quickly turned into an "oh duh" moment when I realized how the angled steps came into play. Thanks for the fun brain exercise!
I also thought maybe the air resistance of the left ladder is reduced as it becomes shorter but it's probably negligible. Anyway this makes the most sense and probably the reason they aren't straight rungs to begin with.
There is a slight backward and forward movement in the rungs landing deflecting, this gives a slight tension on the line above, and through the cumulative tugging (sooner than the floor does similarly), the table drop falls slightly sooner.
On the left, when an end of a step ( the one closer to the table surface) hits the table, a rotational force is created on the opposite side of that step, and that force pulls the shorter string down.
That's what I was thinking, but I didn't phrase it so clearly in my head. Rung hits table, yanks string slightly, pulls ladder down slightly, compounding this creates the end result.
Won't air resistance play a role in this? the one ladder which hits the table will face less air resistance thus fall faster than the one which will hit the floor.
The ladder's steps are not parallel. And they have a specific pattern. When one step of the ladder hits the floor, it creates an unbalanced force on the step, which produces a torque that pulls the upcoming step downward. The addition of force, say torque in this case, helps the ladder's top cap fall faster than the freely falling ladder.
This is not correct. The key point is that the "effective mass" of the left ladder is not constant. If you get the equation of motion for both, the right one is just a normal free fall, the left one has a decreasing exponential term.
Keep an eye on either of the top 2 bars. More specifically, the sides with the shorter string. The tug is more pronounced once the top gets closer to the table.
I’m just throwing a random guess here. The offset angle of the steps causes a rotating force when one end of the step impacts the surface, causing it to pull down on the opposing end, yanking it down faster. It probably would fall at the same speed if the steps were parallel to eachother.
The angled rungs are the key to this. As a rung contacts a surface a rotational force happens to that rung causing the free end to tug harder on it's rope. The ladder that hits first begins this repeating cycle of tugging first thus completing the cycle first, dragging the last of the ladder down first.
@@robertlee6409 yes, it does - as the first lowest rung hits the table it tugs the rope pulling the next one down faster then the next then the next etc
Someone already said it but yes the impact of one side of the angled bars first causes a pulling effect on the opposite side, and this “tug” occurs on both sides, alternating, so that the total effect is that the portion that hasn’t hit the surface yet is subject to more downward force than the simple free fall of gravity.
Due to the angle of each section, when it hits the table, it pulls the other side which is attached through the cable to the next section. The angular energy is transfered each time one side hits the table.
This effect is not enough to explain the phenomenon, the fact that the ladder's mass is effectively decreasing when met with the table explains, with consideration to energy and momentum, the change of velocity
The key thing is that the steps are angled in an altering pattern. As a step hits the table, a rotating force is applied on the step and pulls the next step, and applies a rotating force in the other direction. The interaction pulls all of the steps down every time a step hits a table. That's why the left latter falls quicker.
i like it. my thinking was that there was a set of oscillations generated from the initial rungs hitting the table, and these oscillations moved throughout the rope, tugging each rung closer together.
I assume the reason relates to how when the rods make contact and build up, more forces in different directions are applied and the rest is essentially pulled down.
I got: tug from the connecting strands since the rungs are angled and generate a little downward pull as the rung comes to sit flat, tug from the strands as they potentially roll as they settle, wind resistance vortices of some kind developing between the falling rungs and which of course alleviate as the one hitting the table terminates its fall on the table, and the gravity of the table pulling slightly harder on the closer ladder aligned to hit it. The latter two are surely not enough to amount to anything observable.
You can see it when you look at the strings for the ladder on left. Every time a peg hits the table, it rotates around it's center of mass, tugging the opposite string down just a bit.
I was gonna say earlier point of entropic accelerant. The one that has to hit the floor will eventually experience the same acceleration. The same concept applies while acknowledging that all objects of this type will experience a similar event.
This is actually incredibly easy to explain. When the left ladder strikes the table, it causes the Hyperbering coefficient to modulate, creating an inverse torsion within the rope’s angular momentum vertices, triggering a cascade flux on the Y axis of the modal retriculation. In the industry this is jokingly referred to as the “functional ambivulation matrix squared” because of how radiant the effect can be when squaring the function of the obviate. In other words, the left one seems to “speed up” because its “cortices factor N” laminates vector-wise from its node fretting patch. What you’re seeing is the fabricade polymodial tacitrate dolinor factors vibrating sideways from its reaction phase.
Both are affected by the acceleration due to gravity. The one hitting the table has some of the rungs of the ladder twist/roll earlier, transferring some of that kinetic energy into pulling the rope when they hit the table, which adds to the velocity of the falling rope above it. You wouldn’t see this if you just had rope. It only works with ladders.
It’s a “whiplash” effect. As the lower end of each slanted rung contacts the table it becomes a pivot point. The energy transfers to the opposite end of the rung giving a tug on the rope accelerating the fall of the ladder.
ah so basically the slanted rungs act as lever pulling the upper rung down increasing the amount of energy transferred with each rung that hits the table/lower rung.
@@NoExceptions109 .. the scientific explanation relates to inertia and momentum > each rung has a centre of gravity > during free-fall the impact with the table surface transfers momentum to the slanted rung that gains rotational inertia (during free-fall the strings have no tension) however, the rotational inertia causes tension in the string connected to the next rung which impacts with the table. The addition of these forces (through string tension) slightly accelerates the falling system of rungs. Momentum is conserved throughout - counterintuitively the table impact transfers potential energy into kinetic energy, some of which is used to accelerate the remaining rungs at faster than free-fall velocity.
Isn’t it because the string pulls the steps constantly, adding to the velocity in which the stairs fall? Because every time a step in the stair falls it pulls the shortest string
My guess is that when each rung hits the table the rung pulls on the rope above it, this applies an additional downward force, on the remaining ladder falling above the table.
The angled ladder rungs are forced to rotate around their center of mass when one end hits the table, this minor rotation slightly pulls on the cord on the adjacent end. So in sum a slight downward force along the cords is applied. In conclusion this only works if the rungs are angled like this.
Ahh I see so it’s pulling itself down basically, so if the rungs were horizontal, the one on the right would fall quicker right? Cuz of greater potential energy?
Every rung that hits causes a slight jerk from bottom to top, increasing the speed slightly. You can increase the speed of the jerk by putting the rungs at a slightly higher degree. Also you’ll take the jerk out completely if the angle is too high.
The angled rods create a torque when they hit the table which means more downward force on the rope sides than gravity on the whole ladder. The impact pulls on the ropes
As each rung hits the bottom, it creates a small moment of inertia (rotation) because one end of the rung lands first and then bounces up. When that end bounces up, it causes a slight downward tug on the other end (the side with the short string), which is still taut. This additional force causes a slightly greater acceleration to the free-falling object above.
(spoiler alert) when the lower side of each (uneven) rung hits the table first, it bounces back upwards causing an uneven force and rotation of the rung. This causes the higher side to tug downwards a bit on the rest of the ladder (you can see it in the video but only barely)
if u watch all the sticks of the left ladder when one hits the ground you can litterally see them pulling down on one side at a time creating some pull
The angled rungs are important. Hitting unevenly pulls the string downward with rotational energy, adding to the kinetic energy already converting from potential energy, thereby increasing the speed of descent.
There is a slight "pull down" effect due to the angle at which the beams hit the surface, almost like a "leverage" effect. You can observe the additional tension transferred on the opposite side to the first side that impacts the surface. That extra energy transfer is enough to compile into a visible acceleration on the left ladder. Also, as more links impact the surface, if you focus on the further (up) beams, you can see the effect of the pull-down that I'm referring to. There are other observable events, such as the energy of the impact and the " force of the bounce" being transferred to the other ladder links.
I’ve seen it in some science classes. They prof does an experiment at the end of class related to the next class topic and asks a question about why it happens so they will study and discuss next time
Due to the change in total air resistance and the effect that when one end of a diagonally placed stick touches the ground, the string attached to the opposite side catches the next stick.
The spokes of the ladder are angled, which means that they get angular momentum imparted on them when they hit the floor, which in turn translates to a pull on the rope, adding to the acceleration.
Exactly. Right end of the spoke hits the ground first and gets pushed up. Left end of the spoke gets consequently pulled down pulling the string with it which in turn pulls the whole ladder down. And the same is repeated in each spoke (plus and minus some chaos as the spokes bounce against each other).
It’s more obvious is normal speed. But it’s because they are chained poles together, each time they fell it pulls the chain and slightly increases speed and that builds up until it eventually looks faster.
the angled pipes on the left ladder when they hit are yanking down on the shorter of the connecting ropes causing it to to be pulled down faster than gravity.. if the rungs were horizontal it would be a different story..
The steps are tilted, so once the lower side hits the table, it will act as a lever, pulling on the above step at the opposite side. Since the tilt is alternating, this extra pull will be alternating between left and right, so on average both sides get a little extra pull down.
It won't matter since they're all in free fall and the lowest one cannot fall faster than free fall. I believe the answer is the rotating force as some have mentioned in the comments. When the rod is rotating, the distance to the next rod is decreased which creates an additional force to gravity. The rod starts rotating when the first side hits the table, the rotating force stops being applied when the rod stops turning or the other side of the rod hits the table.
The rungs are tied together. As each rung hits, the rope that connects them is displaced. Creating a small tug of downward force. This causes the next rung to fall a little faster. Which in turn causes a compounding domino effect with each rung that follows. Increasing the rate at which the remaining parts of the ladder fall. Making the object fall faster.
Yeah, but presumably, the same thing happens when the other ladder hits the floor, no? So I would think it must also have something to do with the fact that it’s a shorter distance travelled to the table than to the floor.
After careful observation, the diagonal rods is the reason why it makes it faster, pay attention to the shorter thread... when the rod hits the ground, the side where the longest thread is hits the ground first, and if you what bouncing is, that side bounces, but the other side also feels this bounce so instead of moving up like the other side with the long thread... it moves down more, and since the side that didn't hit the ground first had a short thread, makes the thread force to do the same and move and increase on velocity, which also pulls the next rod, and so on and on... Take a look before B finishes all the rods, the last rod started to rotate to the right, and the rod below is rotated to the left, which proves the point....
I had found myself in a peculiar situation where the lower rungs of a ladder seemed to defy gravity, keeping me suspended in the air as if moving in a direction opposite to free fall. However, should something strike the bottom of the ladder and remove its support, I would experience a sudden acceleration in my descent. Give it a try: falling without the aid of a ladder results in a faster descent compared to remaining seated on it.
Because every time a rung hits the table it wants to fall flat converting a tiny bit of its kinetic energy into torque yanking on the string. Do it with all flat steps and they will go at the same speed. But every time a rung collides with the table and rotates to be horizontal at last, you can see how there is a pull on the opposite string.
I think it is because the steps in the ladder are laid slanted. When one end of the step hits the bottom and bounces up, it causes a slight downward pull on the other end of the step (and the ladder). Alternating the slanting positions of steps causes alternate downward pulls on both ends of the ladder, so it continues to fall straight down.
Before B hits the table, it's experiencing thesame air resistance as A. But as more or B rests on the table, the amount of area available to be resisted by air reduces for B because less and less of ladder B is cutting through air. For ladder A, the ladder has more area to be resisted by air. Due to this, B eventually accelerated as less and less of it is being resisted by air. I other words, if this was done with earth's atmosphere removed or in vacuum, then both would fall at thesame rate
Only difference I see here is that the one ladder hits the table before the other. The process was started earlier. But of course the secret is in the shape of the ladder. If the ladder was straight normal, then they would reach at the same time. But they are slanted and with every low rung that hits the table they is a slight pull on the opposite end. Causing a ripple effect of slight pulls with ever rung that hits the table to end up slightly a head of the other ladder. I might even venture to say if the left ladder was slanted and the other one was straight and they hit the table at the same time we would get the same results. I'm not a scientist, just a total logical guess. I stand corrected.
I think it’s because the ladder “sticks” are angled. When they hit the ground, one side hits first, meaning that for a short time, the other side continues falling, pulling down the rope more each time. Sorry if I explained badly. It’s difficult for me to explain this through text (if anyone actually reads this).
I would assume it has something to do with the rungs of the ladders being cocked at an angle. My assumption is that as the rungs flatten, they pull on the strings slightly, causing the one on the left to fall ever so slightly faster
Due to reduction in mass of left side ladder, since force is conservative this implies moment is constant of motion. In order to make constant momentum velocity increased in left side ladder
1. The rungs are at an angle 2. The lower end of a rung encounters a surface and starts acting like a pivot. 3. The rung now starts to act like a lever due to gravitational pull and pull the string connected to the top down. 4. The rest of the ladder accelerates faster due to extra force.
It's because the ladder has angled steps (planks). When the planks hit the ground, only the tip of the plank makes contact with the table, causing the plank want to rotate around it's centre of mass (converting the planks normal momentum into angular momentum). This causes the other end of the plank to also rotate around the centre of mass. But there's a string connecter to the plank above that, so it pulls down on the rope(gives a tugg and tension in the rope increases, all the way up to the top). The next plank is angled the other way, so it's the other side that hits the table first. So each time a plank falls, a downward tugg is given at the opposite end, alternating left and right. These tuggs add additional acceleration to the planks that are still falling, in the same downward direction.
@@anantsrivastava1564You haven’t shown two ladders with even steps falling at different rates, so no explanation is necessary because as far as we know, it won’t happen.
My best guess: On the left, as each step lands it stops contributing to the air resistance. On the right, the ladder keeps it air resistance constant. I guess air resistance is not negligible in this case.
air resistance has a non-significant effect, the ladder on the left will still fall significantly faster than the one on the right in a vacuum as the lower side of the angled rung of the ladder hits the desk, the elevated side of the rung has an additional downward thrust as the rung rotates; this pulls down on the short side of the rope causing the ladder to be pulled down; the greater the angle of the ladder rungs from being parallel, the faster the ladder hitting the table falls.. yall skipped high school science class a lot or what ..lookup "ruina's ladders"
The one on the left is bunching on the table top. The rungs of that ladder twist fore and aft, causing a yanking motion on the remaining free falling portion. Thus accelerating the motion of the ladder.
Tension in string increases as the angled rungs cause a pull which causes a pull all the way up the ladder, pulling the ladder to the table slightly faster from said tension.
The rungs are angled in an opposing pattern, so each rung that hits, ( on the one making contact with the table ) pulls the string of the higher end when it tries to level, causing it to gain not only momentum but an acceleration type of force from the rungs pulling and driving the ladder faster, working in tandem with gravity instead of only using gravity to drive the ladder to earth
Here is your answer, The tension on the ropes on the right adds an equal and opposite force upwards decelerating the speed similar to that of a dropped slinky The one dropped on the table has that tension eliminated so only the downward force of gravity affects the lower rungs allowing for the lower sections to speed up
@@litechil4129 > similar to that of a dropped slinky I remember that video but I don't think it applies here since the whole thing is already at freefall
It is because the rungs of the ladders are angled. When one side of the rung hits the table, it tugs on the string in a motion to flatten or level out that rung. Easy peasy.
Impact of the rod causes the rod to change directions (shock of change), which causes the already tight rope to be pulled downward, increasing the speed of the rest of the ladder. The excessive change in rope bend is my reason for this theory.
Due to the ladder's angled orientation, the first step rotates about the point of contact with the table as it hits it, pulling the upper ladder slightly with it. The second step then does the same, causing the ladder to be pulled slightly with each step as it make contact with the table.
The following arrangement is causing the bars to be pulled down faster on the table. 1. Those strings attached to the bars in such a way that the bars hang down tilting to approximately 10 degrees. So when one end of the bar hits the table, on the other end the shorter string is pulled down because of the impacting force going towards the other end of the bar with the shorter string.
Look how the rungs are spaced and angled. Hitting the table makes them pull down on the short spaced side as they land and go flat, pulling the rest of the ladder down slightly faster.
I believe it's from horizontal tension in the rope that causes a pivot inside the holes in the wood. Causes some pieces to accelerate. What is the answer?
All the strings are 2 lengths switching sides as it goes up making it a more rigid structure than a regular rope ladder, Which also means with the slight tilt of each peg on the ladder when the first peg hits the table it creates a jerk motion downwards on the structure causing a chain reacting of slight tugs (which I’m sure it’s effects are somehow exponential in growth as it falls longer) making it pull itself into the ground slightly faster than the one who’s process took longer to begin.
The sticks are angled so when they hit the horizontal table they straighten out which in turn creates an angular torque tugging on the robs which drags the ladder faster
Plot twist: he has no idea why that happened and he's genuinely asking, hoping that someone tells him in the comment.
That would be a great plot twist
Lmao! I'm guessing conservation of momentum blah blah it gets smaller therefore faster
@@anteater555 Kinda how the inside of a disc spins faster than the outside? Seems reasonable to me!
@@3nertia that only makes sense if the ladders we at an angle like a disc, angular vs linear moment🤷♂️
@@mr.alandude3938 More to do with distance :)
For those wondering, you see how the rods are alternating diagonal? When the downward part of the bottom rod hits the table, it bounces up, pulling the other side of the rod, and therefore that rope, downwards. Rinse and repeat with every rod, all pulling slightly downwards on the ladder, and now it's falling faster than the other.
Yes you are corect
Thanks, this seems logical indeed
Yup you are right 👍
I'd like that comment, but it has 69 likes, I'm sorry.
Ty garvin is correct, although not articulate. Bro my thinking was also limited to Einstein's relative table-surface tapping step-rods' geometric gravity-center fulcrums just like you, until seeing Ty garvin's comment. Combine both of you with a small edit, and we have concise articulation.
Vsauce won't leave me hanging like this
yea he would just stare at me like he wants my soul or my rectum but he would say something eventually
Fr
Torque
Damn true
Or does he? 🤨
Because when the first log hit, there was a pivot on it. It pulls the other side down and since the other side of the peg can't go down due to the string, it in turn pulls the rest of the ladder down with more force than the other one. Hence why it seems to fall faster after it collides with something.
You are exactly right. This is why the rungs aren't parallel.
You can even see the little tugs.
Since the rungs are angled, the table is causing them to flatten out, which pulls down on the rung above it. This alternates left to right, gradually speeding it up.
Edit: Never expected my comment to get so much attention. To elaborate a bit, one needs to understand that even the ladder on the right will speed up after it hits the ground, just like the one on the left. The only reason you see the difference is because the one on the left hit the table (higher ground) before the one on the right. Also, to better see the pulling effect, don't just watch the strings close to the table. Look closer to the top of the ladder, like two or three rungs from the top after the top comes into view. You can clearly see motion in the strings that is not seen in the ladder on the right.
i think your right, u can slightly see the ropes get pulled....
Wtf bro... Why can't I just believe in magic once. Here you come telling me facts.
@@bobbertee5945 lever on a string
Man some people are just stupid... You!
And because the one on the left impacts first, it speeds up FIRST not faster. By the time the last rung hits their going the same speed for both.
Basically, as each tilted steel rod falls, it bounces up a little on impact. This causes them to gain some torque that properls the other end downward faster. The taut string on that side allows that increase in speed to pull the ladder down slightly faster, while the non-taut longer string on the other end prevents the bounce from pushing the ladder up to slow it down.
Basically as the ladder stops weight is diminished mass is increased motion slightly increased
huh thats cool i guess but i dont see this paying the bills no disrespect your a very intelligent person
Air resistance has a role in this
your the man! I understood! makes perfect sence and is logical! you get a 10+
There is a simpler answer, the first one has to fall less then the other
I like the part where he solves his little mystery
Its to make your mind work
He has a full video where he explains why.
😂
@@carultch wher
Diagonal shape is the key here when the longer end hits the ground it pushes down from the shorter side repeated many times
I think an important point is the centre of mass of each rung is in the middle, so when the ladder hits the lower side, the middle is essentially a pivot, which pulls the other side down.
Sounds legit
->Shows us a cool video
->Asks us why it happened
->Leaves without an answer
That’s a menace to society.
I think he is encouraging us to come up with the answer ourselves. It’s better to learn how to process information and solve a problem rather than just absorbing what we’re told.
Alpha
that’s how questions work
understanding the answer (physics) behind this requires an attention span greater than 60 seconds.
This happens because each rung on the ladder is tilted. As each rung hits the table it pulls the string it's attached to downward a bit, causing the ladder to fall faster.
It also makes it taller so when it touches the bar it counts as done, right?
That makes sense.
I think it's due to air friction slowing down the free falling ladder
That called jerk bro, physics
That’s a legit answer
Alright you got me. I will watch every video on your channel till i find out, even if its 2 AM
Because the one hitting the table is pulled down essentially because they are angled and thus the strings that hit the table already are pulling slightly.
When the angled rings hit the table they exert a tiny accelerating force on one string, via angular momentum. When the next ring hits, it tugs a tiny bit on the other side string. So you get a series of tiny angular momentum tugs on the strings, adding to the g acceleration.
I was close enough I just said prolly due tension
As they stack on top of each other, the table height gets taller, making it end faster
so it wouldn't happen if the rings where straight?
@@MisterFinny well that's not quite it because if you look, the top rung of the l ladder is lower on the left side so if you remove the ladder pieces and even the table, that left side ladder will still hit the ground first. it because the rungs are angled, so if you look at the string on the opposite side of where the ladder hits it tugs on the string pulling it down slightly faster.
Exactly that. Thanks for you perspicacity.
The angled sticks are the key. The center of mass of each stick is in the middle. When the lower end of the stick hits, the rest of the stick rotates around the center of its mass. The upper end of the stick moves down faster, and pulls on the rest of the ladder.
I think you have the right answer.
English please
@@yoomy11well when it hits the table it pulls the one above it down with it and the other one above that does the same thing
that makes sense, the shorter strings, they’re tight, they pulling ever so slightly from gravity and the weight of the stick
@@Yetta_ so just strings pulling strings pulling strings pulling strings?
Seen this trick at a circus once. He has a magnet under the table. However the rods are plastic. What he is actually doing is pulling the table up towards the ladders since the magnet is moving towards a 20ton iron piece just out of frame above. Quite neat trick in its simplicity.
It’s even crazier, because if you look really carefully at the string, when the long side hits the table, it causes a wave that travels up the string, pulling it damn word, and then the more sticks that fall the more each wave is reinforced on its string
Since everyone has a long and over-complicated answer:
- Ladder steps are angled.
- One side of the ladder step hits the floor first.
- Creates a torque (rotating force).
- Torque creates tension in the shorter string.
- The ladder falls slightly faster.
Looks logical to me.
And the fact that you can see the top of the ladder being pulled down.
If this were true shouldn't we see it bouncing back and forth from side to side as it gets near the table?
@@denske1272 Kinda... and if you look closely you can see ever so slightly see it
lol, nice try. You can see there's no tension in the strings because they compress and bend. I'd love to see your math though 🤣
@@denske1272 Not sure I understand what you mean, but the whole ladder remains reasonably stable because the force is not too strong and they alternate sides with each step that hits the floors, so you can't see very well the individual effect of each step, only the overall acceleration over the remaining falling ladder.
The angled sticks ensure that tension transfer is not uniform at both edges in the next stick. This, in a way, generates torque, and this torque guarantees that the upcoming stick is pulled down faster. The pulling force accumulates and is most noticeable at the last stick.
You got it right my friend! The pull from the first 4 sticks accelerate the rate of the whole ladder.
This should have way more likes
Idk how I didn't realize this
Huh. And I even started wondering why the ladders were set up like that until he mentioned the table...
I'm going with this answer
I haven't seen his full video explaining it, but I propose that it's because air friction is reduced every time a rung lands on the table.
When the ladder hits the table, it may seem to fall faster at first, but it's actually slowing down because of the table's resistance. Meanwhile, the ladder falling freely keeps its speed until it hits the ground. So, even though the one hitting the table looks faster initially, it's actually slowing down quicker due to the resistance.
A key to this trick is the alternating slanted bars. One end of a bar hitting the table causes the other end to pull the short string due to the rotation around the center of gravity of the bar. The short string is pulled and in turn the next bar is pulled slightly. As a result, the ladder experiences more pull (downward force) compared with the other ladder.
Yo ur actually smart🧐
Im quit
@@nicholasnau5522 Yes, that is true!
I was going to say the same thing but you have explained better 👍, and they can prove that by just removing the strings
OMG - what a load of horseshit! - take a physics course, please!!
Because the rungs are at an angle. Once they hit the table there’s a rebound effect that causes more tension on one side than the other. The tension yields a secondary “pulling” force that acts in conjunction with gravity, therefore speeding up the time it takes to hit the table which is higher than the other ladder.
Dang
Dang
Smort guy.
That makes sense now. Thanks
Damn it, you beat me to it.
Air friction on the right one increases by time and on the left decrease since the lengh of ladder decreases
Interesting new idea
I think this happened because the energy created by gravity pulling on the strings couldn't dissipate 100% when the connected parts of the line fell on the table, and because the connected parts that I'll call the steps were diagonal, the part of the energy that wasn't absorbed by the table somehow was converted into a force that made the step have a vector that pushed the end that touches first on the table/other step being pushed to the opposite side, forcing the other side of the step down, and since the step that forced the other one down has a longer line, that side will not be affected until the same thing happens to the other, in short, the table made the sides with longer lines pull the ones where the line is shorter, accelerating the fall of the structure as a whole since the steps are in opposite diagonals until the end of the structure.
"Alright, then. Keep your secrets"
😂
Because the center of mass of the one on the left changed.
The cm of the 2 objects is still falling at the same velocity but by stopping the one on the left it's CM will go upper. (Sorry for my English)
👌😂😂
@@pietrof6673 the center of mass will stay, but the hit on the table produce a momentum at the CoG
Okay , Here is my Attempted Educated guess :
short answer : The increased acceleration comes from the gravitational potential energy turned into kinetic energy which works only in the special case of the ladder steps being in the way they are in the video .
Details : The the special unparallel arrangement of the steps gives rise to an emergent property where parts of the surfaces of the step cylinder hit the ground at different times leading to acceleration of the other side of the step as a result of the effect of torque generated when the first side of the step hit the ground , this pulls the side of the step above and this effect compounds as more and more step hit the ground leading to the perception the last step falling with increased acceleration where the actually the acceleration is a step wise acceleration and not a continuous like gravitational but just smooth enough to trick the human eyes persistence of smoothness of acceleration / jerk /ms^-3
Experiment suitable for testing this hypothesis : a ladder with steps that are parallel to each other or any other falling linkage that doesn't share this special property.
Experiment footage :
this experiment too is on Dr. Andy Ruina's CZcams Channel , a chain instead of angled ladder is falling (in the shorts section)
Thought Process : This effect is too big for the literature to haven't already captured in case of this effect also being present in the case of normal ladders , so the peculiar arrangement must be the culprit here and to gain further leads , Dr. Andy Ruina's channel would probably be a good lead for more footage and experiments and it was but there was no explanation there .
Have a nice day
Arnab
The thing to point out is that the ladder rungs are angled. Once the angled ladder rungs hit the table there is a pulling action that takes place when one side of the rung hits, and the other side is pulled down because of the impact. This causes the rope of the latter on the left side to be pulled down faster.
Sooo....if the rungs are straight and not angled.......will they still stay at the same rate?
@@rangerstyleisme If the rungs are straight then there's no torque (twisting force) being generated when each rung hits the floor, so the fall rate will be unchanged.
This is correct. But need animation so others can see. But if we play it slow motion, the reason is clearly visible to the naked eye.
I think even if the rungs are parallel to each other.. this acceleration will occur.
Thanks, I knew it had to be due to acceleration but not why...
Thank You everyone, I didn't catch it at first but because the rungs on the ladder not evenly spaced on both sides. When a rung hits the ground, the uneven distribution acts to pull the next rung on the shorter side, accelerating the ladder's fall.
I figured it out after watching it a second time! I was definitely perplexed at first, but it quickly turned into an "oh duh" moment when I realized how the angled steps came into play. Thanks for the fun brain exercise!
because, sticks are on angle and when a stick touches the table, it rotates generating tension in the small rope that pushes the next stick down too.
Hey that makes sense
I've Ben free from physics for 4 years and I've Ben brought back kicking and screaming because of this video if I want to math I'll play dnd
I also thought maybe the air resistance of the left ladder is reduced as it becomes shorter but it's probably negligible. Anyway this makes the most sense and probably the reason they aren't straight rungs to begin with.
@@RCmies wow, gd point too. U guys prolly do thought experiments n can figure out teleportation, time travel, etc, on paper.
@@kenreynolds8673 hi Ben
"Now why did that happen?"
"I don't know, why did it happen?"
*Video ends*
"I guess we'll never know then"
So dislikes
"fine, keep your secrets"
edit: I just realized the original quote is actually "all right then, keep your secrets"
Reminded me of that kanye speecg
Question is if the table would of never been there would it have fallen in the same manner and not finished at the same time?
Well maybe if you smashed that like button and gave it a share you would find out…🤷🏻♂️
There is a slight backward and forward movement in the rungs landing deflecting, this gives a slight tension on the line above, and through the cumulative tugging (sooner than the floor does similarly), the table drop falls slightly sooner.
On the left, when an end of a step ( the one closer to the table surface) hits the table, a rotational force is created on the opposite side of that step, and that force pulls the shorter string down.
That's what I was thinking, but I didn't phrase it so clearly in my head. Rung hits table, yanks string slightly, pulls ladder down slightly, compounding this creates the end result.
That actually makes a lot of sense
Thank you💯💯
100 percent correct bro
Won't air resistance play a role in this? the one ladder which hits the table will face less air resistance thus fall faster than the one which will hit the floor.
The ladder's steps are not parallel. And they have a specific pattern. When one step of the ladder hits the floor, it creates an unbalanced force on the step, which produces a torque that pulls the upcoming step downward. The addition of force, say torque in this case, helps the ladder's top cap fall faster than the freely falling ladder.
I think you probably got it. I don't understand it really but I do very much enjoy physics.
Gotta love those moment arms.
Buah ole tus huevos bro gracias
This is not correct. The key point is that the "effective mass" of the left ladder is not constant. If you get the equation of motion for both, the right one is just a normal free fall, the left one has a decreasing exponential term.
I was thinking the same thing
Keep an eye on either of the top 2 bars. More specifically, the sides with the shorter string. The tug is more pronounced once the top gets closer to the table.
I’m just throwing a random guess here. The offset angle of the steps causes a rotating force when one end of the step impacts the surface, causing it to pull down on the opposing end, yanking it down faster. It probably would fall at the same speed if the steps were parallel to eachother.
"It was me, Barry. I made them fall faster so you will fail your physics exam"
💀
Underrated
Lmao I’m dead
I did no such thing!
Shiz, every thing makes sense now
The angled rungs are the key to this. As a rung contacts a surface a rotational force happens to that rung causing the free end to tug harder on it's rope. The ladder that hits first begins this repeating cycle of tugging first thus completing the cycle first, dragging the last of the ladder down first.
Yes
Very good explanation
Why would the ladder have such unlevel rungs? Is that part of the equation?
Yep
@@robertlee6409 yes, it does - as the first lowest rung hits the table it tugs the rope pulling the next one down faster then the next then the next etc
Someone already said it but yes the impact of one side of the angled bars first causes a pulling effect on the opposite side, and this “tug” occurs on both sides, alternating, so that the total effect is that the portion that hasn’t hit the surface yet is subject to more downward force than the simple free fall of gravity.
I said “same” out loud while rolling my eyes; now I’m intrigued
Due to the angle of each section, when it hits the table, it pulls the other side which is attached through the cable to the next section. The angular energy is transfered each time one side hits the table.
I think this guy got the right answer. This should be on the top comment.
🤯
Obs
That looks and sounds right to me, but then what was the purpose of the table in this demonstration?
This effect is not enough to explain the phenomenon, the fact that the ladder's mass is effectively decreasing when met with the table explains, with consideration to energy and momentum, the change of velocity
The key thing is that the steps are angled in an altering pattern.
As a step hits the table, a rotating force is applied on the step and pulls the next step, and applies a rotating force in the other direction.
The interaction pulls all of the steps down every time a step hits a table.
That's why the left latter falls quicker.
yesss, this is probably the best explanation. Nice work, hope this gets more than 3 likes
I see it makes more sense now, thanks
i like it.
my thinking was that there was a set of oscillations generated from the initial rungs hitting the table, and these oscillations moved throughout the rope, tugging each rung closer together.
Repeat using parallel rungs. Bet the effect disappears
that would be my guess/assumption as well.
I assume the reason relates to how when the rods make contact and build up, more forces in different directions are applied and the rest is essentially pulled down.
I got: tug from the connecting strands since the rungs are angled and generate a little downward pull as the rung comes to sit flat, tug from the strands as they potentially roll as they settle, wind resistance vortices of some kind developing between the falling rungs and which of course alleviate as the one hitting the table terminates its fall on the table, and the gravity of the table pulling slightly harder on the closer ladder aligned to hit it. The latter two are surely not enough to amount to anything observable.
You can see it when you look at the strings for the ladder on left. Every time a peg hits the table, it rotates around it's center of mass, tugging the opposite string down just a bit.
🙌🔥
This is Elon Musk:
Your the future uh... um.. science guy?
( I can’t think of a scientist right now)
@@shiri_uwu wat
I was gonna say earlier point of entropic accelerant. The one that has to hit the floor will eventually experience the same acceleration. The same concept applies while acknowledging that all objects of this type will experience a similar event.
Bro is asking us to do his physics homework 💀
😂
Bro got his phone on the physics test 💀
😂😂
💀💀💀
@@MP-hk6gb brooo 💀
This is actually incredibly easy to explain. When the left ladder strikes the table, it causes the Hyperbering coefficient to modulate, creating an inverse torsion within the rope’s angular momentum vertices, triggering a cascade flux on the Y axis of the modal retriculation. In the industry this is jokingly referred to as the “functional ambivulation matrix squared” because of how radiant the effect can be when squaring the function of the obviate.
In other words, the left one seems to “speed up” because its “cortices factor N” laminates vector-wise from its node fretting patch. What you’re seeing is the fabricade polymodial tacitrate dolinor factors vibrating sideways from its reaction phase.
Both are affected by the acceleration due to gravity. The one hitting the table has some of the rungs of the ladder twist/roll earlier, transferring some of that kinetic energy into pulling the rope when they hit the table, which adds to the velocity of the falling rope above it. You wouldn’t see this if you just had rope. It only works with ladders.
It’s a “whiplash” effect. As the lower end of each slanted rung contacts the table it becomes a pivot point. The energy transfers to the opposite end of the rung giving a tug on the rope accelerating the fall of the ladder.
@Tom Frain .. more precisely rotational inertia.
ah so basically the slanted rungs act as lever pulling the upper rung down increasing the amount of energy transferred with each rung that hits the table/lower rung.
@@NoExceptions109 .. the scientific explanation relates to inertia and momentum > each rung has a centre of gravity > during free-fall the impact with the table surface transfers momentum to the slanted rung that gains rotational inertia (during free-fall the strings have no tension) however, the rotational inertia causes tension in the string connected to the next rung which impacts with the table. The addition of these forces (through string tension) slightly accelerates the falling system of rungs. Momentum is conserved throughout - counterintuitively the table impact transfers potential energy into kinetic energy, some of which is used to accelerate the remaining rungs at faster than free-fall velocity.
As I thought, ty
Sigh. It's sad to see the likes in thousands for the joking comments while the true explanation gets a mere few hundred.
Isn’t it because the string pulls the steps constantly, adding to the velocity in which the stairs fall?
Because every time a step in the stair falls it pulls the shortest string
My guess is that when each rung hits the table the rung pulls on the rope above it, this applies an additional downward force, on the remaining ladder falling above the table.
- defies physics
-refuses to elaborate
-disappears into the void
@Princess Azula it’s a joke 💀
@Princess Azula its a joke
Hey, a flat earther!
Hahahaha
@@marvinthemartian4044 can you prove it's round?
The angled ladder rungs are forced to rotate around their center of mass when one end hits the table, this minor rotation slightly pulls on the cord on the adjacent end. So in sum a slight downward force along the cords is applied.
In conclusion this only works if the rungs are angled like this.
I assumed that thanks for confirming
Ahh I see so it’s pulling itself down basically, so if the rungs were horizontal, the one on the right would fall quicker right? Cuz of greater potential energy?
Yea, could be the answer
yeah but why does the rotation is faster then the falling speed? how can it be faster then its own falling speed?
@@stinbray1120🧢
Every rung that hits causes a slight jerk from bottom to top, increasing the speed slightly. You can increase the speed of the jerk by putting the rungs at a slightly higher degree. Also you’ll take the jerk out completely if the angle is too high.
The angled rods create a torque when they hit the table which means more downward force on the rope sides than gravity on the whole ladder. The impact pulls on the ropes
As each rung hits the bottom, it creates a small moment of inertia (rotation) because one end of the rung lands first and then bounces up. When that end bounces up, it causes a slight downward tug on the other end (the side with the short string), which is still taut. This additional force causes a slightly greater acceleration to the free-falling object above.
Didn't think of this, sounds the rightest to my mind :)
Ah, well spotted. The rungs are clearly angled that way on purpose.
This was the comment that made me realise what those other nerds are saying thanks. my brain widened enough to comprehend the physics.
I ain't reading allat but we 🆙💯💯💯💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Im too dumb to understand but cool explanation
I especially liked the part where he explained why that happened
Well think about it
(spoiler alert) when the lower side of each (uneven) rung hits the table first, it bounces back upwards causing an uneven force and rotation of the rung. This causes the higher side to tug downwards a bit on the rest of the ladder (you can see it in the video but only barely)
Air resistance.
@@abstergo-animus 😂
if u watch all the sticks of the left ladder when one hits the ground you can litterally see them pulling down on one side at a time creating some pull
The angled rungs are important. Hitting unevenly pulls the string downward with rotational energy, adding to the kinetic energy already converting from potential energy, thereby increasing the speed of descent.
The rods are connected and there’s a pull action at play when one side hits the table. This is due to the rods angles.
There is a slight "pull down" effect due to the angle at which the beams hit the surface, almost like a "leverage" effect. You can observe the additional tension transferred on the opposite side to the first side that impacts the surface. That extra energy transfer is enough to compile into a visible acceleration on the left ladder. Also, as more links impact the surface, if you focus on the further (up) beams, you can see the effect of the pull-down that I'm referring to. There are other observable events, such as the energy of the impact and the " force of the bounce" being transferred to the other ladder links.
Thank you so much! I can sleep easy now haha
You got it right!
I would say pulling and drag, when it hit The table it actually removed the drag of elements at table's height
tldr: gravity pulls you down better when you're already on the ground
Oooooh clever! Now I see it and it's evident! Nice catch mate!
Imagine if professor finishes the class like this with no answer, himself wondering answer to this question.
A class full of bright, thinking minds. That's how you lead innovation
I’ve seen it in some science classes. They prof does an experiment at the end of class related to the next class topic and asks a question about why it happens so they will study and discuss next time
It encourages thought. don't you think?
Philosophy classes are kinda like that
But that's what happened and that's why we have the answer today
Due to the change in total air resistance and the effect that when one end of a diagonally placed stick touches the ground, the string attached to the opposite side catches the next stick.
The sound of the steps hitting the table adds more excitement to the falling ladder, causing it to plummet to the spectacular finish!
Due to each step being inclined, one side touch the table first pulling the string of opposite side due to inertia which accelerates the fall.
I was thinking air drag
I think this might be it indeed!
This legit was my EXACT explanation
this makes sense.
So you think if steps weren't at an angle that they would fall down at the same time or not.
🧠👌
The spokes of the ladder are angled, which means that they get angular momentum imparted on them when they hit the floor, which in turn translates to a pull on the rope, adding to the acceleration.
Good call
Yeah, pretty sure this is the right answer.
I was going to write this, but your choice of words was perfect.
Neat!
Exactly. Right end of the spoke hits the ground first and gets pushed up. Left end of the spoke gets consequently pulled down pulling the string with it which in turn pulls the whole ladder down. And the same is repeated in each spoke (plus and minus some chaos as the spokes bounce against each other).
It’s more obvious is normal speed. But it’s because they are chained poles together, each time they fell it pulls the chain and slightly increases speed and that builds up until it eventually looks faster.
the angled pipes on the left ladder when they hit are yanking down on the shorter of the connecting ropes causing it to to be pulled down faster than gravity..
if the rungs were horizontal it would be a different story..
The steps are tilted, so once the lower side hits the table, it will act as a lever, pulling on the above step at the opposite side. Since the tilt is alternating, this extra pull will be alternating between left and right, so on average both sides get a little extra pull down.
Thanks. Another Veritasium video I just avoided watching!
Sounds legit
It won't matter since they're all in free fall and the lowest one cannot fall faster than free fall.
I believe the answer is the rotating force as some have mentioned in the comments. When the rod is rotating, the distance to the next rod is decreased which creates an additional force to gravity. The rod starts rotating when the first side hits the table, the rotating force stops being applied when the rod stops turning or the other side of the rod hits the table.
This is like what that last guy said, but I'm words I can understand ✊🏾
This is what I was thinking was possibly happening thanks for the explanation
The rungs are tied together. As each rung hits, the rope that connects them is displaced. Creating a small tug of downward force. This causes the next rung to fall a little faster. Which in turn causes a compounding domino effect with each rung that follows. Increasing the rate at which the remaining parts of the ladder fall. Making the object fall faster.
Oh that's what I was going to say...
Yeah, but presumably, the same thing happens when the other ladder hits the floor, no? So I would think it must also have something to do with the fact that it’s a shorter distance travelled to the table than to the floor.
@@CivilizedWarrior the other ladder hasn't hit the floor
Common sense baby! 😂
He means when it does hit the floor. So in obvious terms yes the ladder that comes into contact with a surface first will technically be “faster.”
After careful observation, the diagonal rods is the reason why it makes it faster, pay attention to the shorter thread...
when the rod hits the ground, the side where the longest thread is hits the ground first, and if you what bouncing is, that side bounces, but the other side also feels this bounce so instead of moving up like the other side with the long thread...
it moves down more, and since the side that didn't hit the ground first had a short thread, makes the thread force to do the same and move and increase on velocity, which also pulls the next rod, and so on and on...
Take a look before B finishes all the rods, the last rod started to rotate to the right, and the rod below is rotated to the left, which proves the point....
It might be because of momentum conservation,
The lower part goes to rest so the upper part has to accelerate to conserve the momentum
If the ladders falling, someone’s screwed.
Lol
I'm gonna take this conclusion and tell myself I made a scientific discovery today since they ended the video and didn't explain it... Lmao
I had found myself in a peculiar situation where the lower rungs of a ladder seemed to defy gravity, keeping me suspended in the air as if moving in a direction opposite to free fall. However, should something strike the bottom of the ladder and remove its support, I would experience a sudden acceleration in my descent.
Give it a try: falling without the aid of a ladder results in a faster descent compared to remaining seated on it.
And it’s you
Come here
😏
😂😂😂
Because every time a rung hits the table it wants to fall flat converting a tiny bit of its kinetic energy into torque yanking on the string. Do it with all flat steps and they will go at the same speed. But every time a rung collides with the table and rotates to be horizontal at last, you can see how there is a pull on the opposite string.
if they were horizontal would it be the same rate?
@@eastudio-K yes
That is wrong on many levels mate.
I think because the right one has more air resistance
Right answer collected less likes than no sense comments)
I think it is because the steps in the ladder are laid slanted. When one end of the step hits the bottom and bounces up, it causes a slight downward pull on the other end of the step (and the ladder). Alternating the slanting positions of steps causes alternate downward pulls on both ends of the ladder, so it continues to fall straight down.
Before B hits the table, it's experiencing thesame air resistance as A.
But as more or B rests on the table, the amount of area available to be resisted by air reduces for B because less and less of ladder B is cutting through air.
For ladder A, the ladder has more area to be resisted by air.
Due to this, B eventually accelerated as less and less of it is being resisted by air.
I other words, if this was done with earth's atmosphere removed or in vacuum, then both would fall at thesame rate
Gonna need a ladder to recover from that cliffhanger.
😂😂😂😂
Nice
Don't you mean, "from that fall"?
Only difference I see here is that the one ladder hits the table before the other. The process was started earlier. But of course the secret is in the shape of the ladder. If the ladder was straight normal, then they would reach at the same time. But they are slanted and with every low rung that hits the table they is a slight pull on the opposite end. Causing a ripple effect of slight pulls with ever rung that hits the table to end up slightly a head of the other ladder. I might even venture to say if the left ladder was slanted and the other one was straight and they hit the table at the same time we would get the same results. I'm not a scientist, just a total logical guess. I stand corrected.
Dad joke level 💯
I think it’s because the ladder “sticks” are angled. When they hit the ground, one side hits first, meaning that for a short time, the other side continues falling, pulling down the rope more each time. Sorry if I explained badly. It’s difficult for me to explain this through text (if anyone actually reads this).
Dude I understand what you meant bro
Same that’s a good hypothesis tho
@@joseayala6371 thanks bro
@@sharko5264 thanks
No, you articulated clearly, I was looking for this comment to put my thoughts into intelligible words
I would assume it has something to do with the rungs of the ladders being cocked at an angle. My assumption is that as the rungs flatten, they pull on the strings slightly, causing the one on the left to fall ever so slightly faster
Due to reduction in mass of left side ladder, since force is conservative this implies moment is constant of motion. In order to make constant momentum velocity increased in left side ladder
1. The rungs are at an angle
2. The lower end of a rung encounters a surface and starts acting like a pivot.
3. The rung now starts to act like a lever due to gravitational pull and pull the string connected to the top down.
4. The rest of the ladder accelerates faster due to extra force.
you got there before me, this is exactly what I was thinking
Same thought!
Someone worded it far more eloquently then I could have but I'm happy I came to this conclusion.
Yeah!! Science BITCH!!!
YEAH i was about to say that! 😅
It's because the ladder has angled steps (planks).
When the planks hit the ground, only the tip of the plank makes contact with the table, causing the plank want to rotate around it's centre of mass (converting the planks normal momentum into angular momentum).
This causes the other end of the plank to also rotate around the centre of mass. But there's a string connecter to the plank above that, so it pulls down on the rope(gives a tugg and tension in the rope increases, all the way up to the top).
The next plank is angled the other way, so it's the other side that hits the table first.
So each time a plank falls, a downward tugg is given at the opposite end, alternating left and right.
These tuggs add additional acceleration to the planks that are still falling, in the same downward direction.
This
Ok
I agree with your answer but if the ladde's steps are at the same level then...
What explanation will you give ?
@@anantsrivastava1564You haven’t shown two ladders with even steps falling at different rates, so no explanation is necessary because as far as we know, it won’t happen.
@@siddharthshankarkarthik8239 lol
My best guess:
On the left, as each step lands it stops contributing to the air resistance.
On the right, the ladder keeps it air resistance constant.
I guess air resistance is not negligible in this case.
air resistance has a non-significant effect, the ladder on the left will still fall significantly faster than the one on the right in a vacuum
as the lower side of the angled rung of the ladder hits the desk, the elevated side of the rung has an additional downward thrust as the rung rotates; this pulls down on the short side of the rope causing the ladder to be pulled down; the greater the angle of the ladder rungs from being parallel, the faster the ladder hitting the table falls..
yall skipped high school science class a lot or what ..lookup "ruina's ladders"
the explanation for this is surprisingly intuitive
Mom: “OK, Mikey, stop trying to get strangers to do your homework! Get off the internet and figure it out yourself!”
Not funne
@@real_silly-cat funni
Haha my mom used to call me Mikey and I just pictured her yelling at me as I was reading your comment 😅 🤣
🤣🤣🤣
The one on the left is bunching on the table top. The rungs of that ladder twist fore and aft, causing a yanking motion on the remaining free falling portion. Thus accelerating the motion of the ladder.
I love the part where he explains why it happens
it is amazing!!! love it!
He never said he would explain
He’s asking us the viewers, why does it happen!?
The video is asking a question, not giving an answer 🤔
Same it was the best part
Tension in string increases as the angled rungs cause a pull which causes a pull all the way up the ladder, pulling the ladder to the table slightly faster from said tension.
The upward force of the ground on the rods are converted into downward force by the configuration of the rods and strings.
The rungs are angled in an opposing pattern, so each rung that hits, ( on the one making contact with the table ) pulls the string of the higher end when it tries to level, causing it to gain not only momentum but an acceleration type of force from the rungs pulling and driving the ladder faster, working in tandem with gravity instead of only using gravity to drive the ladder to earth
I was thinking it was pulling itself down from the vibration in the strings. Great eye and explanation
It seems to be converting part of its potential energy with the impacts into tiny forces that pull the strings alternatively.
Bingo
Indeed, if you look closely you can see the upper rungs begin to oscillate slightly from the impacts below.
I agree
i guess I'll just hope the almighty algorithm hooks me up with part 2
Subscribe to make sure you get it.
@@MattTCfarmI am. Still nothing... lol
Here is your answer, The tension on the ropes on the right adds an equal and opposite force upwards decelerating the speed similar to that of a dropped slinky
The one dropped on the table has that tension eliminated so only the downward force of gravity affects the lower rungs allowing for the lower sections to speed up
That’s what the subscribe button is for
@@litechil4129
> similar to that of a dropped slinky
I remember that video but I don't think it applies here since the whole thing is already at freefall
It is because the rungs of the ladders are angled. When one side of the rung hits the table, it tugs on the string in a motion to flatten or level out that rung. Easy peasy.
Impact of the rod causes the rod to change directions (shock of change), which causes the already tight rope to be pulled downward, increasing the speed of the rest of the ladder. The excessive change in rope bend is my reason for this theory.
Due to the ladder's angled orientation, the first step rotates about the point of contact with the table as it hits it, pulling the upper ladder slightly with it. The second step then does the same, causing the ladder to be pulled slightly with each step as it make contact with the table.
Good point. I thought reduced air resistance
@@oscarstenberg2745that was my thought as well. Maybe it's a combination of both
@@brettkowalski Hmmm.... Yes you can say that, but due to the shape of the ladder 🪜air resistance has the minimum effect, I think.
It is amazing that these explanations make their way to the top comments. I love veritasium, but this is some scummy clickbait
Thank you, brother! I was starting to doubt my Phisics
The following arrangement is causing the bars to be pulled down faster on the table.
1. Those strings attached to the bars in such a way that the bars hang down tilting to approximately 10 degrees.
So when one end of the bar hits the table, on the other end the shorter string is pulled down because of the impacting force going towards the other end of the bar with the shorter string.
Thanks, this makes way more sense than terminal velocity
Got it man
This comment are the one who need the most likes. Not the one who question it more
BROTHER WOAH THANKYOU
The steps form small levers, pulling on the short side from the rebound force that hits first.
Air resistance, the ladder on the left suffers less drag when parts of the ladder have been stopped by the table which allows it to fall quicker
Look how the rungs are spaced and angled. Hitting the table makes them pull down on the short spaced side as they land and go flat, pulling the rest of the ladder down slightly faster.
Maybe it's not about the ladders but the friends we made along the way .
NO IT’S LADDERS. NEED MORE LADDERS. GOTTA BUY MORE LADDERS. INVEST IN LADDERS!
@@clintonharvey2384REVIVE THE LADDER ECONOMY
😂😂😂😂
@@noob_in_youtube842 Sure but I do it ladder.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
This is the only way man on CZcams who's actually "just asking questions"
Confusing wording
@@Brauljo I'm assuming you understood what he was trying to say though. Or do you need it explained to you?
I believe it's from horizontal tension in the rope that causes a pivot inside the holes in the wood. Causes some pieces to accelerate. What is the answer?
@@jeremiecoughenour1130 that’s a pretty good hypothesis
now say it again, but this time in english
All the strings are 2 lengths switching sides as it goes up making it a more rigid structure than a regular rope ladder,
Which also means with the slight tilt of each peg on the ladder when the first peg hits the table it creates a jerk motion downwards on the structure causing a chain reacting of slight tugs (which I’m sure it’s effects are somehow exponential in growth as it falls longer) making it pull itself into the ground slightly faster than the one who’s process took longer to begin.
The short string gets pulled when the opposite side hits the table. Causing the force to pull it down
"Now what happened? - video ends
Me: wha-wait! Isn't that your job?!
I feel ya 😂😂
Lol man, you are thinking the exact thing that I’m thinking about
😂😂😂even me
You are right
he asked, uai
The sticks are angled so when they hit the horizontal table they straighten out which in turn creates an angular torque tugging on the robs which drags the ladder faster
我同意 I agree
wat he said!
Yup
no
I agree 👍