Do boomerangs work in space?
- added May 2, 2008
- 17 responses
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- Simon_S
- added this
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Takao Doi, an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, tested this three-armed paper boomerang while on the International Space Station.
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OM
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It seems to work even better without the resistance of gravity or wind.
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that is sooooo cool!
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I think the basic principle is no different with or without gravity. Cause the way the boomerang moves is by cutting through the air which is present in both circumstances. So I wonder what it would do underwater?
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I kind of doubt it would work underwater..
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ivxx, i think, because if you look at the video, at the end of the boomerangs spin it starts to slow down, so i think on the ground gravity pulls it the rest of the way. so i think in water the slowing effect would cause it to slow to a stop much sooner in its cycle and sink to the bottom or float to the top... well that my prediction, but iv never been in space or diving so i am probably wrong..
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honestly if he thought it wasn't going to work he shouldn't be an astronaut. if you can't figure out how a boomerang works, you didn't get out of high school. have him throw it outside in the vacuum of space where there is no air resistance. and no, it won't work underwater, the resistance is too great unless maybe somehow you could produce a massive, and i mean massive, amount of potential and kinetic energy in that thing when it is released
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I agree it would take a tremendous amount of force but I think factors like current and water pressure do to depth would have more of an effect on the outcome. But it's not improbable. Also you'll need a better boomerang, something made of plastic, that thing he's throwing looks like its made out of paper.
It wouldn't work in space. It would just in a straight line, if the pressure didn't crush it.
But something I've always wondered. If one was to strike a match within the space station what would the flame do? Any hypothesis? -
I'm pretty sure it would just do the same thing it does on earth. I mean there is oxygen on the space station obviously, so the match would have fuel. Gravity doesn't affect fire.
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Gravity does affect fire. Smoke in lighter than air so it rises, right. So what if there is no up? I think it would just ball up around the match and smother the flame. But I don't know.
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Our company also did a segment on this by interviewing him throwing the boomerang while on land, and let me just say that either his skills improved drastically since the interview or the weightlessness helps. =)P
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Oh yeah, I didn't think about the smoke. But Ah-ha! I found a source!
"For example, 'combustion experiments really don't like thruster firings.' Charles explains: Flames in space do something odd. Instead of forming the familiar teardrop shape of candle flames on Earth, they contract into little balls, which float around and burn using almost no fuel. Scientists suspect these flame balls hold the secrets to leaner burning auto engines. The problem is, flame balls are delicate. A gentle bump is enough to knock one out." -
Thanks for the great info. I love nasa.gov and new site formate.
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I'm betting Obama is wishing his own Boomerang didn't comeback:)
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- PatrickEdwardMurray
- 5 months ago
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I guess so....
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- danieldewinter
- 5 months ago
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Well,
Let's all keep it real with this timeless Aussie classic ... Ah, I remember like it was yesteryear!
The video posted is not so funny, but the track is a laugh. Video sure raises a few giggles too, for those of you who have been down south.
Enjoy!
PS. Just because my icon has a flag, doesn't mean all my posts pertain to Australia ...-
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- fernandez_is_go
- 5 months ago
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flame balls sound nuts!
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