The centrifuge is a genuinely terrifying device. The lights dim when it is switched on. A strong wind is produced as the centrifuge induces a cyclone in the room. The smell of boiling insulation emanates from the overloaded 25 amp cables. If not perfectly adjusted and lubricated, it will shred the teeth off solid brass gears in under a second. Runs were conducted from the relative safety of the next room while peeking through a crack in the door.Highlight this text for a spoiler: Yes, the lava lamp worked in 3G. Link -via Digg
Neil Fraser wondered if a lava lamp would still work in the higher gravity environment of Jupiter. How such a question ever occurs to anyone is a matter of wonder in itself, but Fraser went ahead and built a ten-foot wide centrifuge in his living room to conduct the experiment to answer his question.
One possible fly in the ointment: Lava lamps work based on heat rising against the downward force of gravity.
In this experiment the heat is rising perpendicular to the force of the simulated gravity.
thanks! ;)
Now, if the center of mass of a massive item is above your head, then gravity is operating UPWARDS. If you align the centrifuge differently, then it is not operating perpendicular to the gravitational force. But in any case, the G meter in the iPhone does read out over 2 Gs.
If you're still angry about this experiment, please find someone to give you a hug.
(thats no iphone btw :))
Interesting nevertheless!
i mean, don't centrifuges work to sort all the items in the container by density? why dont' we see all lava and medium sort into layers
So lava lamps WOULD work on Jupiter. The more you know *shooting star*
Changing the strength of gravity won't change the /relative/ densities, so as long as there's still some gravity it will work. What would stop it working is an absence of gravity - then there'd be no incentive for the two liquids to move to top and bottom.
I hadn't realized you could get a phone to display gravity, though.
And it's Meccano, not Erector Sets.