5 ms·

"All the dynamics are different and easier at smaller scales." I suppose that's why balancing a pencil upright on your fingertip is like 10 times easier than d

"All the dynamics are different and easier at smaller scales." I suppose that's why balancing a pencil upright on your fingertip is like 10 times easier than doing the same with a broomstick, right?

jermaustin1 7y ago
I think you are being sarcastic, because I can balance a broom a lot better than a pencil on my finger, so I'm going to discuss my thoughts behind why. Based on what you are saying and tomxor in a sibling comment. Stability seems to increase with scale. Maybe it has something to do with weight, or center of mass, or a combination of the two. I know that the longer the object you are balancing upright on your finger (or palm for something bigger than a broom), the easier it is to compensate the shifts in center of mass as it tilts. For a pencil, technically i guess it is "easier" to balance if you are a machine able to make the fine micro adjustments required.
- londons_explore 7y ago
  The equation for the period of a pendulum has sqrt(l) in it. Therefore, I would guess that to get equal dynamics at a minimum, the feedback loop speed (the time for your hand to respond in the case of the broom) has to increase by the square root of the scale factor.
  - jermaustin1 7y ago
    And that is why I'm a web developer ;)... I chose to avoid all math after high school, how dare you bring formulas into my civilized, philosophical discussion!
- that_jojo 7y ago
  It's inertia. Among other things, the much higher inertia of the broomstick has a damping effect on changes in its motion.
nine_k 7y ago
A broom is much heavier. Your arm and hand are not great at doing many precise and gentle movements per second. With the acceleration they produce they can do many small corrections for a broom position. For a pencil, much faster and gentler corrections would be needed, and the arm + hand are too slow and imprecise to tackle that.
- SamBam 7y ago
  That's the parent commenter's point.
all2 7y ago
See the sibling comment on why helicopters differ from rockets/airplanes. I think this is an issue of inertia/mass that doesn't exist so much for craft that gain and retain stability from their surroundings. Of course, I could also be completely wrong.

"All the dynamics are different and easier at smaller scales." I suppose that's why balancing a pencil upright on your fingertip is like 10 times easier than doing the same with a broomstick, right?

jermaustin1 7y ago

I think you are being sarcastic, because I can balance a broom a lot better than a pencil on my finger, so I'm going to discuss my thoughts behind why. Based on what you are saying and tomxor in a sibling comment. Stability seems to increase with scale. Maybe it has something to do with weight, or center of mass, or a combination of the two. I know that the longer the object you are balancing upright on your finger (or palm for something bigger than a broom), the easier it is to compensate the shifts in center of mass as it tilts. For a pencil, technically i guess it is "easier" to balance if you are a machine able to make the fine micro adjustments required.

londons_explore 7y ago
The equation for the period of a pendulum has sqrt(l) in it. Therefore, I would guess that to get equal dynamics at a minimum, the feedback loop speed (the time for your hand to respond in the case of the broom) has to increase by the square root of the scale factor.
- jermaustin1 7y ago
  And that is why I'm a web developer ;)... I chose to avoid all math after high school, how dare you bring formulas into my civilized, philosophical discussion!
that_jojo 7y ago
It's inertia. Among other things, the much higher inertia of the broomstick has a damping effect on changes in its motion.

nine_k 7y ago

A broom is much heavier. Your arm and hand are not great at doing many precise and gentle movements per second. With the acceleration they produce they can do many small corrections for a broom position. For a pencil, much faster and gentler corrections would be needed, and the arm + hand are too slow and imprecise to tackle that.

SamBam 7y ago
That's the parent commenter's point.

all2 7y ago

See the sibling comment on why helicopters differ from rockets/airplanes. I think this is an issue of inertia/mass that doesn't exist so much for craft that gain and retain stability from their surroundings. Of course, I could also be completely wrong.