You Know How This Experiment Ends, But You Should Watch It Anyway

[jakeXT]

Most of you know that any two objects dropped in a vacuum will fall at the same rate. Some of you have probably even seen it demonstrated in person. But you've never seen this classic experiment reproduced in the world's biggest vacuum chamber – and you really should.

Physicist Brian Cox recently visited NASA's Space Power Facility in Ohio to check out the Agency's Space Simulation Chamber. At 30.5 meters across and 37.2 meters tall, the colossal aluminum construction has a volume of 22,653 cubic meters (or about ~800,000 cubic feet), making it the biggest vacuum chamber in the world.

The best thing about this video is the reaction it elicits from Cox and the engineers. Everyone knows how the experiment will end. Like us, they've been told what to expect. Like us, many of them have seen it demonstrated on a smaller scale. But something about watching a bowling ball and feathers fall from a great height, together, side by side, makes them gawk, giggle, and grin like children. I think that's kind of wonderful.

http://io9.com/you-know-how-this-experiment-ends-but-you-should-watch-1653628513

[Granny M]

1. I'm a good bit dumber

than Einstein, I know. But I don't understand how he figured that, if we couldn't see the objects passing the background, we would see that they weren't moving at all. I'm getting another cup of coffee and watching again.

[jakeXT]

2. It's an excerpt from a longer show, that's why it's a bit confusing

[Granny M]

3. Thank you.

I still don't understand it all, but this was so wonderful. What a great way to spend an hour on a lazy Sunday. I have it saved in my YouTube faves so I can watch again and share.

[Doctor_J]

4. would have been much better without slo mo

The full effect is not watching the bowling ball fall slowly, but watching the feather plummet.

[Jim Lane]

5. That was my thought, too.

There was only a brief span when you could see both objects falling at real-time speed -- and, yes, seeing the feather plummet was the highlight for me.