May 23rd, 2012
The letter this week is the Slinky S
and S does stand for Slinky
Did you ever play with a Slinky?
Did your children?
Or perhaps your grandchildren?
Wasn't it fun!!!!
The Slinky's inventor, Richard James ( a naval engineer) decided to demonstrate his new toy at Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia in the the early 1940s though he really didn't think anyone would buy it because it was so simple.
Contrary to his expectations it was a great success
and remains the same today, as it did at Gimbels.
"The Slinky, like all objects, tends to resist change in its motion.
Because of this inertia if it were placed at the top of the stairs it would stay at rest, without moving at all.
At this point it has potential or stored energy.
But once it is started down the stairs and gravity affects it, the potential energy
is created to kinetic energy, and the Slinky gracefully tumbles coil by coil down the stairs".
As the slinky moves down the steps energy is transferred along its length
in a longitudinal wave, rather like a sound wave that travels
through a substance by transferring a pulse of energy to the next molecule.
How quickly the wave moves depends on the spring constant and the mass of the metal
(I read that online!)
James had developed the Slinky for the Navy as an anti-vibration device for ship instruments.
When it failed to work for the Navy it became the successful toy it still is,
mesmerizing and amazing!
For more interesting S words sneak on over to ABC Wednesday,
19 comments:
Sweet post! I STILL play with slinkies! I love swishing them back and forth between my hands. I take breaks when writing and play with it. Great hand toy!
I had a slinky as a girl, used to love having them walk down a flight of stairs.
Ann
Slinkys do make a lot of us silly!
What an interesting device! I have never heard of this toy, but it looks very nice.
Thanks for your visit. Did you also see the photos and text after clicking on " Read more"? I don't like this new system of Google to break off half the entry and leave the most important part away, so that the reader must understand that he/she must click on "Read more".
Wow. I hope you are having fun at PSU! I would plant my herb garden in that planter for sure. What a cool idea.
Garden Centre Barnsley
Slinky was my favorite toy as a child. Super slinky post. Carver, ABC-Wed. Team
I had Slinky or two
ROG, ABC Wednesday team
I loved my Slinky when I was a kid. Enjoyed learning more about it. Great post for S!
The Slinky toy really is a scientific marvel and its name is so ingenious. I like the huge rainbow ones in your photograph used for a dance creatively. :)
oh, i didn't know this is called slinky.:p i saw kids playing with this toy.
ABC Wednesday
Very interesting ! I didn't know that !
Gattina
ABC Team
My kids love slinky!
S is for..
Rose, ABC Wednesday Team
I never had a Slinky, but remember seeing kids with them, and thinking they were brilliant! What a good idea for a post, and I love the idea of the potential energy needing just a small impulse to send it on its way.
I didn't know they had been around for so long. Such an interesting description of their workings.
What a fun post! Of course we played with them, so did our kids and our grandkids (now I want to send one to the great-grandsons -- and they even have a stairway! I had forgotten all the history of this childhood favorite!
We had a Slinky - but I did not know all those facts - when we had our cat she loved to follow it down the stairs - Jane UK
We used to have a slinky and I loved it.
Thanks for the memories! My husband gave me a new one for my 60th birthday :O)
Hope you are enjoying your springtime up north.
Yes, I played with a Slinky, and so did my children! Wonderful toy!
I enjoy your blog so much, Hildred, and I am awarding you the Illuminating Blog Award for illuminating, informative blog content. Drop by http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/
to pick up your award!
Blessings!
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