STUDENT DISCOVERS PHYSICS-DEFYING DISCOVERY
AriWan ChatterZhu, a student at Dubai College, has discovered a phenomenal discovery. At 4:30 pm EST on the 6th of June, he became the youngest ever Noble Prize nominee for physics. What an amazing achievement!
We at the New York Times have had the privilege to have met the man himself, and we must say, he is likely the most remarkable person we have ever met. Following a short interview with him, we were lucky enough to get a copy of his results from his scientific journal - Et Gravitas Wster - regarding this physics-defying experiment, which we have had the liberty to publish below. Note this includes all supplementary scientific diagrams and videos. Enjoy!
Extract from AriWan’s scientific Journal - Et Gravitas Wster
A brief look at Atmospheric Pressure
The air around us consists of a variety of gases in different proportions. This can be represented by the pie chart shown below:
These gases have a certain weight, which is their relative mass considering the force exerted by the earth’s Gravitational Field Strength.
As can be seen on the left, we can use this formula to calculate the weight of different gases, such as Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide, Oxygen, and Argon. In addition to this, the weight of gases is also affected by the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere (since gases can expand), as well as the elevation from sea level, which determines how much energy is being exerted on the object via Gravitational Field Strength.
Now, let us introduce the notion of Atmospheric Pressure. Commonly referred to as Barometric Pressure, it is the force exerted on the surface of an object by the weight of the air around it. This weight is based on the elevation from sea level.
Based on this evidence, we can establish that as the Altitude or Elevation from sea level increases, the Atmospheric Pressure decreases.
The Experiment
The Gravity-Defying Water experiment was conducted and recorded and can be seen below as a video.
Additionally, below we have attached 3 supplementary images of the experiment in chronological order from left to right
Here is another image of Wan performing the experiment:
Now, let us first look at the materials we used for this experiment:
- Goblet (Capacity of 230ml, opening radius of 3.5cm)
- 210ml of Water
- 1 laminated card (dimensions 11cm x 11cm)
- Metal Tray (For any water residue or unsuccessful attempts at this experiment)
- A flat, working area
Step-by-Step Tutorial to conduct this experiment:
- Collect and assemble all the necessary equipment for this experiment in front of you.
- Place your metal tray on the flat, working area.
- Pour 210 milliliters of water into the glass goblet.
- Following this, carefully place the laminated card on top of the goblet with water.
- This step is crucial to get right; hold the goblet with one hand on its stem and the other on top of the laminated card, and quickly turn it over 180°
- Now, release the hand holding on to the laminated card, and Voila!
How does this work?
This experiment is solely based on the basic principles of atmospheric pressure, which was outlined in the extract from Et Gravitas Wster, in which we defined that the lower the altitude or elevation in comparison to sea level, the higher the atmospheric pressure.
In this experiment, as can be easily visualized in the photo below, the force acting downwards on the laminated piece of card is the weight of the water in the glass, while the force pushing upwards on the laminated glass is the atmospheric tension since the atmospheric pressure below the card is strong enough the counteract and balance the pressure of the water.
Real-Life Applications
Atmospheric Pressure plays a major role in the world around us, affecting countless phenomena. Here are just a few:
Have your ears ever popped in the ascent or descent of an aeroplane? Well this can be explained by atmospheric pressure — as your elevation/altitude grows, your ears pop to counteract the atmospheric pressure, hence pushing your eardrum, which gives the sensation of a pop!
Have you ever wondered why a balloon is round? Here’s why! When a balloon is blown up, the air pressure inside is greater than the atmospheric pressure outside the balloon. This means that the balloon, which is made of an elastic material, expands in every direction, hence forming the ever-so-familiar rounded shape.
When one carries a fountain pen to a flight, one can be assured that the ink in it will leak and spill out. Wondering why? Due to the lower atmospheric pressure, the fountain pen will contract in the air, meaning nearly all of the ink will gather near the nib or feed of the pen. Once the atmospheric pressure increases back to normal as the plane descends, the fountain pen will expand, meaning the air inside the fountain pen will also expand, repelling and pushing all the ink through the nib of the fountain pen.
Credits:
This experiment was conducted by Wan, who shared his results with Ari. Ari documented and researched these results, collaborating with Wan and forming an explanation behind this. As well as this, the additional information on Atmospheric Pressure and Real Life Applications was written by Ari, with all supplementary documents such as videos and images give by Wan.
