In reply to H Veeder's message of Thu, 4 Jul 2013 11:24:41 -0400: Hi, [snip] >The problem with the explanation offered in the video is that it could >apply to a rope but ropes don't behave like that so the explanation is not >specific to the behaviour of the chain. > >Harry
It may be related to the fact that the little balls of the chain are connected by short straight pieces of metal, which restricts how sharp an angle the chain can bend at. (You can often find these little chains connected to plugs in bathroom sinks). Furthermore, I think the standing waves and corkscrew forms are due to the initial coiling of the chain in the beaker. This causes the direction from which new "feed" comes to constantly change, which in turn "wiggles" the chain, providing the initial source of the waves. Regards, Robin van Spaandonk http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html
