My dad built a proper pedestal for our new washing machine and dryer. It is 19 inches high. The challenge is getting the washer up onto the pedestal. The washer weighs 232 lbs. It is just the two of us today. I don't want to throw my back out. Neither does he. What equipment or physics tricks can we employ to get this thing up on the pedestal?
posted by jasondigitized
on Feb 17, 2013 -
16 answers
Settle an argument. A 150 person falls and grabs something as they do. Assuming they have kung-fu grip, how much weight does the thing they grab need to be able to withstand without tearing, breaking, whatever. I say the weight of the person. They say it's their weight and g-forces combined. Who is right and if they are, how do you calculate those g-forces? And if they are twisting as they fall, does torque figure into it?
posted by CollectiveMind
on Aug 5, 2012 -
25 answers
What's the best way to build a Wordpress feature allowing users to contribute content along the lines of recipes?
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posted by steinsaltz
on Dec 16, 2011 -
14 answers
I have a perfectly spherical lead weight that weighs 1 kilogram. I drop it from the surface of the ocean directly into the
Mariana Trench. How long does it take to hit the bottom, and how fast is it traveling when it hits?
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posted by Cool Papa Bell
on May 10, 2011 -
24 answers
It's the future and humans live in space stations. What are some ways (real or fictional) that artificial gravity can be created so there will be no weightlessness?
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posted by thejrt
on Apr 27, 2011 -
18 answers
The strong nuclear force is ≈10^39 times as strong as gravity. It takes ≈10^39 protons to make a black hole with a Schwarzschild radius about the size of a proton. That's not just a coincidence, right? Why?
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posted by Kid Charlemagne
on Mar 30, 2011 -
11 answers
a "thought experiment" on gravity:
Pretend you could "teleport" a huge mass such as the sun into "empty outer space". How long would it take for the gravitational force to reach a distance such as the distance from the earth to the sun?
posted by santogold
on Jun 25, 2010 -
12 answers
Wubbo Ockels blew up my brain. Does anyone who actually understands physics have an an educated take on his theory of time and gravity?
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posted by evariste
on May 16, 2010 -
11 answers
Is there any way that major fluctuations in the Earth's climate could have an effect on the temperature of the Earth's core? What about its density? Could temperature changes cause some sort of change in the planet's gravity or magnetic fields? Could changing weather have any other effect on the Earth's interior?
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posted by Captain Cardanthian!
on Feb 28, 2010 -
12 answers
Would it be possible to have a planet with significantly more surface area than the earth and similar gravity (at ground level) by decreasing its density?
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posted by blue_beetle
on Jun 18, 2009 -
5 answers
With the advent of NASA's return to the moon I have a question of whether or not The Apollo astronauts could have recovered from a less than perfect landing.
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posted by Gungho
on Jun 18, 2009 -
19 answers
Fictional gravity: Let's say I was the complete master of all things gravity and I wanted to hurl a person into the sun.
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posted by Cool Papa Bell
on Apr 15, 2009 -
41 answers
If my working desk were in space, would I still experience tensions in my back?
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posted by jfricke
on Mar 23, 2009 -
8 answers
If the earth's gravity was increased by 10%, would sprint runners be slower or faster?
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posted by IvyMike
on Aug 25, 2008 -
49 answers
What are those things called that you see on badge clips and rock climbing walls that automatically retract a nylon cord?
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posted by ostranenie
on May 21, 2008 -
10 answers
You know the playground trick whereby four of you can "levitate" a fifth person using just your fingertips (you first hold your hands over his head and count to 20)? How does that work, then?
posted by bonaldi
on Nov 21, 2007 -
20 answers
Imagine a world in which the atmospheric density is somewhat greater than ours, but gravity is somewhat lower. How might our experience be different on that world?
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posted by Ritchie
on Jan 8, 2007 -
16 answers
Does gravity make small pools of water curve slightly (I’m thinking a small lake size) or is surface tension enough to flatten it out? More importantly - how would I calculate whether the resistance from the surface tension is enough to keep it flat and when/what size that breaks off?
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posted by Smedleyman
on Oct 11, 2006 -
19 answers
If General Relativity is accepted as true, why do Physicists talk about (and look for) Gravitons?
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posted by grahamwell
on Mar 28, 2006 -
14 answers
Science hour question: My niece asked me this and I didn't have a good answer. People in orbit around the earth are "weightless." But what would happen if an object in space were kept
stationary at 150-200 miles up? Would an astronaut in such a stationary but very high station in fact feel significant gravity? Is "weightlessness" (in near-Earth space) an artifact of a free-fall orbit? C'mon rocket scientists, I know you're out there.
posted by socratic
on Dec 12, 2004 -
20 answers
ScientificIlliterateFilter: If the sun's gravity is so strong as to keep whole planets circling it in orbit (even ones million of miles away), how come light and heat (incredibly fragile things compared to planets) can escape as rays (or whatever they are)?
posted by amberglow
on Nov 14, 2004 -
53 answers
