To: stf-lmorton@vom.com, "Exploratorium Pinhole" <pinhole@exploratorium.edu>
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 15:33:42 -0000
From: "BenP" <bpitt@n2.com>
Subject: (No Subject)
I do remember this example. It has been effective in that it has stuck with me. I have often thought of it and have used it as an imagery example on several occasions. I've also seen a film of it sometime in the past, but not recently. It was likely in my days at Stony Brook, about 20 years ago. The ping pong balls were set on top of the mouse trap arms and the mouse traps were set side by side, row upon row, in a room which may have been a handball court (I'm not sure, but I seem to recall a small gymnasium-type room.). My memory is that there were easily hundreds of traps, maybe thousands. The reaction was started by someone throwing one ping-pong ball onto the array. It would be a tough set-up. I'd hate to have to try it for more than one period in a day!! ;) (I envision the big dirigible hangar at Moffett filled wall to wall! I'm sure your school has a budget for a million mousetraps! Or maybe the Exploratorium could be filled!!)
I think it would be hard to get an entire class to observe the reaction. First, if the students were in the room you would need to be careful not to reduce the number of traps you set below the critical mouse[sic]. Also, if the students were in the room, then you might need to shield their observation area so that there would not be space where the balls would be able to escape from the reaction area.
But don't let my thoughts rain on your parade! I'd love to see the film if it were made!! And it would be a hoot for the students, to boot!!
I wonder if there would be a means to make the array 3-dimensional. That has always been my primary critique on the demonstration - that it doesn't really show the rate at which a chain reaction would spread since it is only 2-dimensional. Though I guess it simulates a controlled reaction.
Good Luck!!
Ben Pittenger
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