Question

In a lecture demonstration, a 3.0-m-long vertical string with ten bolts tied to it at equal intervals is dropped from the ceiling of the lecture hall. The string falls on a tin plate, and the class hears the clink of each bolt as it hits the plate. The sounds will not occur at equal time intervals. Why? Will the time between clinks increase or decrease newr the end of the fall? How could the bolts be tied so that the clinks occur at equal intervals?

Answer 1

Explanation:

The bolt at the bottom of the string will have a lesser distance to fall than the one at the top. It will therefore arrive at a slower speed. Each successive bolt will arrive a bit faster. The time intervals between equally spaced bolts wil therefore become less each time. Think about how you could make them equal by adjusting the spacing.