Key question – is this how everything falls, or is it just slinkys?
Certainly, if you imagine an incredibly long one, the bottom can’t start moving until at least enough time has passed for light to travel from the top to the bottom, despite the fact that gravity is pulling it the whole time. This means that presumably pretty much every material would have to contract by enough to allow the top to start falling before the bottom moves…..
What if someone made an enormously long slinky that was held up way in the sky so you could have a seemingly floating bottom half of a slinky for a long time?
Interesting. So I wonder if before the demonstration they needed to use hooke’s law to determine which spring constant they needed and the distance they needed to expand it in order to have the effect that the force compressing the spring would equal gravity in order to make the bottom stay stationary.
Although now that I think about this it should on theory work with any spring. If you let it hang it applies the force needed to expand the spring enough so that the force stored in the stretched spring is equal to that of gravity. And therefore you shouldn’t need to do much work before hand to make this work. But you need a long spring like this so you can actually capture the behavior on camera.
As opposed to an energy-emitting slinky, which emits 5MBq ionising gamma radiation and causes death to anyone trying to see how quickly it falls.
Is an “energy absorbing slinky” just a normal slinky?
Veratasium playlist from 7 years ago https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDA442EA7EB0B8698
Thanks Bernie!
That’s unreal. How does this work if the slinky is 10.000 times longer for example?
Very educational.
Anyone seeking more info might also check here:
title | points | age | /r/ | comnts
:–|:–|:–|:–|:–
[MRW I’m a waiter at the restaurant that serves the world’s longest curly fries, but the customer is an asshole and I know I’m getting a shitty tip.](http://www.reddit.com/r/shittyreactiongifs/comments/6owys6/mrw_im_a_waiter_at_the_restaurant_that_serves_the/) | 1540 | 1^yr | shittyreactiongifs | 20
[Tension and gravity](http://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/6oux24/tension_and_gravity/) | 29960 | 1^yr | interestingasfuck | 400
[Dropping a slinky in slow motion.](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/5y7y6q/dropping_a_slinky_in_slow_motion/) | 613 | 1^yr | gifs | 41
[Slinky falling in slowmotion](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/594ngm/slinky_falling_in_slowmotion/) | 39 | 2^yrs | gifs | 3
[The effect of gravity on a slinky.](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/4fkjxc/the_effect_of_gravity_on_a_slinky/) | 233 | 2^yrs | gifs | 28
[Spring falling down](http://www.reddit.com/r/gif/comments/46eelh/spring_falling_down/) | 236 | 2^yrs | gif | 10
[A slinky falling down in slow motion](http://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/3ibdpj/a_slinky_falling_down_in_slow_motion/) | 5277 | 3^yrs | interestingasfuck | 316
[Can’t.stop.watching.this.](http://www.reddit.com/r/geek/comments/3cxqp1/cantstopwatchingthis/) | 463 | 3^yrs | geek | 21
[The bottom of the slinky will stay still (hover) until the top reaches it, no matter how long (x-post /r/woahdude)](http://www.reddit.com/r/physicsgifs/comments/25p6r2/the_bottom_of_the_slinky_will_stay_still_hover/) | 200 | 4^yrs | physicsgifs | 18
[Slinky falling in slow motion](http://www.reddit.com/r/oddlysatisfying/comments/24kzit/slinky_falling_in_slow_motion/) | 37 | 4^yrs | oddlysatisfying | 1
[I understand the science but my mind is still blown](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/23wuxo/i_understand_the_science_but_my_mind_is_still/) | 368 | 4^yrs | gifs | 32
[Slow motion is pretty fucking awesome!](http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/1yu4ll/slow_motion_is_pretty_fucking_awesome/) | 1770 | 4^yrs | funny | 90
[TIL the bottom of a slinky stays in mid air when you let go of it](http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/1x149f/til_the_bottom_of_a_slinky_stays_in_mid_air_when/) | 199 | 5^yrs | WTF | 60
[Slinky falling in slow motion](http://www.reddit.com/r/woahdude/comments/1tt3gt/slinky_falling_in_slow_motion/) | 415 | 5^yrs | woahdude | 19
[Slinky falling in Slow Motion](http://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/1trngi/slinky_falling_in_slow_motion/) | 308 | 5^yrs | Damnthatsinteresting | 9
[How will a stretched spring fall?? [X-Post From /r/physicsgifs]](http://www.reddit.com/r/Serendipity/comments/1lypzz/how_will_a_stretched_spring_fall_xpost_from/) | 315 | 5^yrs | Serendipity | 15
[How will a stretched spring fall? (r/physicsgifs)](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/1l58qx/how_will_a_stretched_spring_fall_rphysicsgifs/) | 52 | 5^yrs | gifs | 9
[TIL When released, the bottom of a slinky will hover almost motionless until the top reaches it.](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/1jpv5h/til_when_released_the_bottom_of_a_slinky_will/) | 202 | 5^yrs | gifs | 22
[Physics [GIF]](http://www.reddit.com/r/woahdude/comments/1f3dr1/physics_gif/) | 396 | 5^yrs | woahdude | 20
[Because Physics](http://www.reddit.com/r/awesome/comments/1bumtz/because_physics/) | 617 | 5^yrs | awesome | 24
[No Matter How Long the Slinky Is, The Bottom Will Always Hover](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/1b280p/no_matter_how_long_the_slinky_is_the_bottom_will/) | 61 | 5^yrs | gifs | 5
[The Six Million Dollar Slinky](http://www.reddit.com/r/GifSound/comments/194ien/the_six_million_dollar_slinky/) | 6 | 5^yrs | GifSound | 0
[Science is Awesome](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/1947e0/science_is_awesome/) | 1277 | 5^yrs | gifs | 55
[Slinky drop (Slow-Motion)](http://www.reddit.com/r/physicsgifs/comments/15ajn6/slinky_drop_slowmotion/) | 229 | 6^yrs | physicsgifs | 17
[Fuck gravity..](http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/12purj/fuck_gravity/) | 1393 | 6^yrs | funny | 154
[Slinky](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/128lmx/slinky/) | 120 | 6^yrs | gifs | 8
[When dropped, the bottom of a slinky will hover motionless until the top reaches it. [gif]](http://www.reddit.com/r/woahdude/comments/1083wf/when_dropped_the_bottom_of_a_slinky_will_hover/) | 1261 | 6^yrs | woahdude | 112
[Slinky](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/v77wb/slinky/) | 60 | 6^yrs | gifs | 2
[amazing slinky](http://www.reddit.com/r/GifSound/comments/tv3fj/amazing_slinky/) | | 6^yrs | GifSound |
[Leonidas’ new shirt](http://www.reddit.com/r/GifSound/comments/tttco/leonidas_new_shirt/) | -9 | 6^yrs | GifSound | 0
[Dropping a slinky](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/ttgbp/dropping_a_slinky/) | 79 | 6^yrs | gifs | 4
[THX slinky](http://www.reddit.com/r/GifSound/comments/ttga8/thx_slinky/) | 51 | 6^yrs | GifSound | 3
[No matter how long the Slinky is, the bottom will hover.](http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/tt7za/no_matter_how_long_the_slinky_is_the_bottom_will/) | 1482 | 6^yrs | pics | 811
[Slinkies can hover in the air! Sort of!](http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/qh0yj/slinkies_can_hover_in_the_air_sort_of/) | 43 | 6^yrs | WTF | 7
[Fun Fact: No matter how long the slinky is, the bottom of the slinky will stay still (hover) until the top reaches it. Even if the slinky is over 1000 feet long.](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/pwnjf/fun_fact_no_matter_how_long_the_slinky_is_the/) | 272 | 6^yrs | gifs | 39
[Physics in action](http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/puov4/physics_in_action/) | 62 | 6^yrs | pics | 8
[When dropped, the bottom of a slinky will hover motionless until the top reaches it. [5]](http://www.reddit.com/r/trees/comments/puili/when_dropped_the_bottom_of_a_slinky_will_hover/) | 1552 | 6^yrs | trees | 305
[O, Slinky](http://www.reddit.com/r/GifSound/comments/tthq4/o_slinky/) | | 6^yrs | GifSound |
[Slow motion slinky drop](http://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/zvvb7/slow_motion_slinky_drop/) | 230 | 6^yrs | gifs | 15
[And this is how a slinky falls](http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/l3auo/and_this_is_how_a_slinky_falls/) | 1778 | 7^yrs | reddit.com | 661
*[Source: karmadecay](http://karmadecay.com/results/u11603365)*
Very interesting, just the quality is almost unbearable
Key question – is this how everything falls, or is it just slinkys?
Certainly, if you imagine an incredibly long one, the bottom can’t start moving until at least enough time has passed for light to travel from the top to the bottom, despite the fact that gravity is pulling it the whole time. This means that presumably pretty much every material would have to contract by enough to allow the top to start falling before the bottom moves…..
BERNIE!?
Mythbusters Junior just tested this extensively.
It must be part of the school semester that covers kinematics.
What if someone made an enormously long slinky that was held up way in the sky so you could have a seemingly floating bottom half of a slinky for a long time?
Is it possible to learn this power?
Yer a wizzer ‘Arry!
This hurts my intuition bone.
Is that Harry Potter?
Bernie’s really bored now since he didn’t win the presidency.
Screw gravity
The flat earthers think this is proof for no gravity
“Have almost solved the Slinky paradox…. Need more grant money”.
You have to thank Charlie as well…
Source: [Slinky Drop Answer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCMmmEEyOO0)
This is how all slinkies fall.
I used to work at the original Slinky plant. The inventor was an absolute nutter.
Can we use these powers ourselves to levitate?
Bernie Sanders does physics
I can hear that slinky compressing on its way down. Messing with my head
I just call it magic
What can’t Bernie Sanders do
Bernie showing how high his hopes are these days.
Pewww hey its Derek here
cool
Science 😎
Did you know that they used a giant slinky for the [audio effects in star wars?](https://youtu.be/aqtqiuSMJqM)
So what about a normal slinky
Interesting. So I wonder if before the demonstration they needed to use hooke’s law to determine which spring constant they needed and the distance they needed to expand it in order to have the effect that the force compressing the spring would equal gravity in order to make the bottom stay stationary.
Although now that I think about this it should on theory work with any spring. If you let it hang it applies the force needed to expand the spring enough so that the force stored in the stretched spring is equal to that of gravity. And therefore you shouldn’t need to do much work before hand to make this work. But you need a long spring like this so you can actually capture the behavior on camera.
You have the gif reveresed. /u/gifreversingbot
So cartoon physics had it right all along! The wile coyote is part slinky?
Dropping that slinky like a boss.
TIL Bernie Sanders is a slinkyman
The effect doesn’t really work when you just watch the top of the slinky as it falls. Homeboy on the left probably didn’t really get it.
Bernie Sanders using energy-absorption as a metaphor for capitalism.
Jesus, the comments here are all cancer