Comments on: Episode 120: Seesaw Saga http://mythbustersresults.com/seesaw-saga Outcomes from all MythBusters Episodes Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:12:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Thiagozequim http://mythbustersresults.com/seesaw-saga/comment-page-1#comment-13157 Thiagozequim Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:42:17 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/?p=506#comment-13157 ? ?

]]> By: Thiagozequim http://mythbustersresults.com/seesaw-saga/comment-page-1#comment-13156 Thiagozequim Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:41:37 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/?p=506#comment-13156 What is the name of the software that was used in the seesaw building simulation What is the name of the software that was used in the seesaw building simulation

]]> By: cortjezter http://mythbustersresults.com/seesaw-saga/comment-page-1#comment-12244 cortjezter Sat, 10 Sep 2011 01:20:27 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/?p=506#comment-12244 i want to know why the girl was playing alone on a see-saw in the first place to even give a skydiver an open target to hit... i want to know why the girl was playing alone on a see-saw in the first place to even give a skydiver an open target to hit…

]]> By: MSpears http://mythbustersresults.com/seesaw-saga/comment-page-1#comment-12186 MSpears Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:25:24 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/?p=506#comment-12186 Actually, 'normal' seesaws haven't been made out of wood in YEARS. Well, not the ones on playgrounds anyway, because we can't have SPLINTERS in our children's arses, can we? (*rolls eyes* Builds character, I say. LET them get splinters.) LOL! Sorry, that was the kind of thing my uncle might've said. Anyway, their 'normal' seesaw was made just like every other modern playground seesaw, out of metal. Actually, ‘normal’ seesaws haven’t been made out of wood in YEARS. Well, not the ones on playgrounds anyway, because we can’t have SPLINTERS in our children’s arses, can we?

(*rolls eyes* Builds character, I say. LET them get splinters.) LOL! Sorry, that was the kind of thing my uncle might’ve said.

Anyway, their ‘normal’ seesaw was made just like every other modern playground seesaw, out of metal.

]]> By: MSpears http://mythbustersresults.com/seesaw-saga/comment-page-1#comment-12184 MSpears Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:19:38 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/?p=506#comment-12184 They did try that. You must have missed it. A "normal" seesaw would just BEND under the impact. I'm sure SOMETHING would've happened to the girl, but flying 70 feet through the air? Nope. They did try that. You must have missed it. A “normal” seesaw would just BEND under the impact. I’m sure SOMETHING would’ve happened to the girl, but flying 70 feet through the air? Nope.

]]> By: Micheal T. http://mythbustersresults.com/seesaw-saga/comment-page-1#comment-11434 Micheal T. Sun, 08 May 2011 16:59:31 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/?p=506#comment-11434 they are engineered the same in Japan as they are here in the US. they are engineered the same in Japan as they are here in the US.

]]> By: Micheal T. http://mythbustersresults.com/seesaw-saga/comment-page-1#comment-11432 Micheal T. Sun, 08 May 2011 02:16:20 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/?p=506#comment-11432 v= velocity (meters/second) Vo= initial velocity a= acceleration g= acceleration due to gravity (-9.8 m/s^2) dx = change in distance (distance of acceleration, or delta x) girl must travel apprx 21 meters in the y plane to reach 7 stories, assuming 10 ft (3.03M)/ story. V^2=Vo^2+2g dx -Vo^2=2(-9.8)21 Vo=20.3 m/s Girl must have an initial velocity leaving the seesaw of 20.3 m/s in the y direction. assuming the see saw is 1.5m from ground to apex, V^2=Vo^2+2a dx 20.3^2=2*a*1.5 a=137m/s^2 girl must accelerate an average 137m/s^2 in the y direction over the 1.5m distance. 14g + 1g of gravity= 15g humans have survived more than 45 g for short times, and 25 g up to 1.1 sec, which is more than enough time to accelerate the girl to the proper velocity. a 16th G could account for enough velocity in the x direction to transport the girl to the nearest building roof. F=Ma 20kg*157m/s^2=3136N a force of 3136N (newtons) is required to acheive this acceleration. sky diver's velocity upon hitting ground 705.6 m/s kinetic enerygy = 705.6^2= 2*a*1.5 165957.12m/s^2*90kg= 1.5x10^7N 1.5x10^7 N is more than enough to impart the required force on the girl. the elacticity of the seesaw would drastically reduce the rate at which energy is transferred to the girl down to something closer to what is required, and the ground would absorb the rest of the energy. Assuming the seesaw was built properly to flex and deliver the required acceleration at a nearly constant rate (which is possible) the 16 Gs required are easily survivable by smaller children. This myth, according to the Physics and the math is Plausible. v= velocity (meters/second)
Vo= initial velocity
a= acceleration
g= acceleration due to gravity (-9.8 m/s^2)
dx = change in distance (distance of acceleration, or delta x)

girl must travel apprx 21 meters in the y plane to reach 7 stories, assuming 10 ft (3.03M)/ story.

V^2=Vo^2+2g dx

-Vo^2=2(-9.8)21

Vo=20.3 m/s

Girl must have an initial velocity leaving the seesaw of 20.3 m/s in the y direction.
assuming the see saw is 1.5m from ground to apex,

V^2=Vo^2+2a dx

20.3^2=2*a*1.5

a=137m/s^2
girl must accelerate an average 137m/s^2 in the y direction over the 1.5m distance.

14g + 1g of gravity=
15g

humans have survived more than 45 g for short times, and 25 g up to 1.1 sec, which is more than enough time to accelerate the girl to the proper velocity.

a 16th G could account for enough velocity in the x direction to transport the girl to the nearest building roof.

F=Ma

20kg*157m/s^2=3136N

a force of 3136N (newtons) is required to acheive this acceleration.

sky diver’s velocity upon hitting ground 705.6 m/s
kinetic enerygy =
705.6^2= 2*a*1.5
165957.12m/s^2*90kg= 1.5×10^7N

1.5×10^7 N is more than enough to impart the required force on the girl. the elacticity of the seesaw would drastically reduce the rate at which energy is transferred to the girl down to something closer to what is required, and the ground would absorb the rest of the energy.

Assuming the seesaw was built properly to flex and deliver the required acceleration at a nearly constant rate (which is possible) the 16 Gs required are easily survivable by smaller children. This myth, according to the Physics and the math is Plausible.

]]> By: Seneca http://mythbustersresults.com/seesaw-saga/comment-page-1#comment-11148 Seneca Sun, 13 Mar 2011 20:20:40 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/?p=506#comment-11148 I checked this website because I missed the last 10 minutes of the show and wanted to see if this was busted. I have to say the most entertaining part of all this is reading some of these posts...YGBSM Devedander et al, did y'all seriously spend hours composing posts about the merits of a mythical seesaw/skydiver test? Who cares?! It's a freaking TV show! If you're going to get yourself worked up about something, why not consider the national debt or the engineering of Japanese nuclear power plants. I checked this website because I missed the last 10 minutes of the show and wanted to see if this was busted. I have to say the most entertaining part of all this is reading some of these posts…YGBSM Devedander et al, did y’all seriously spend hours composing posts about the merits of a mythical seesaw/skydiver test? Who cares?! It’s a freaking TV show! If you’re going to get yourself worked up about something, why not consider the national debt or the engineering of Japanese nuclear power plants.

]]> By: nicolas http://mythbustersresults.com/seesaw-saga/comment-page-1#comment-10994 nicolas Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:55:39 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/?p=506#comment-10994 What was the name of the software used to Build the seesaw? What was the name of the software used to Build the seesaw?

]]> By: scottmctony http://mythbustersresults.com/seesaw-saga/comment-page-1#comment-10907 scottmctony Sat, 05 Feb 2011 19:20:26 +0000 http://mythbustersresults.com/?p=506#comment-10907 I do recall that the normal seesaw at the beginning was somewhat middle of the road. And of course the barrels gave it a disadvantage compared to a person. I think it's actually likely that a high-end seesaw, impacted by the entire mass of a skydiver, could break just enough to reduce the force to something reasonably close to the myth. And I am almost certain that such force would only cause very minor injury in most cases. I do recall that the normal seesaw at the beginning was somewhat middle of the road. And of course the barrels gave it a disadvantage compared to a person. I think it’s actually likely that a high-end seesaw, impacted by the entire mass of a skydiver, could break just enough to reduce the force to something reasonably close to the myth. And I am almost certain that such force would only cause very minor injury in most cases.

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