Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19990319003850.0067e748@telis.org>
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 16:38:50 -0800
To: "BenP" <bpitt@n2.com>, stf-lmorton@vom.com,
From: Rich Lohman <roaminlohman@telis.org>
Subject: Mousetrap nuclear fission
I remember seeing this film possibly when I was in high school?? Could it
be that long ago? I seem to remember the narrator of the film being the
same man who did the film "Hemo the Magnificent". Hmmm...now what was that
about, our blood? Maybe that was actually the film. I'm sure others, who
are more mature in years like me, will have their brains joggled a bit.
Good luck.
Rich Lohman
At 03:33 PM 3/18/99 -0000, BenP wrote:
>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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