Video Physics - Videos of Cool Experiments

Fracture

This is an experiment proposed by archaeologist M. Imwalle.

The fracture of a clay bowl is recorded through an impact event that causes its fracture. Individual pieces are excavated and later individually digitized with 3 Dimensional laser scans. The bowl is reconstructed digitally as well as physically with white glue and then re-scanned. Future archaeologists should laser scan all their debris to allow computational topologists to reassemble their data at a later point with shape solving algorithms. Adjacent fractured faces should pair uniquely and therefore the mating alignment should be distinguishable. It must first identify what can be considered a consistent face. This clay bowl (a shape with intersecting convex, concave, and a semi-toroidal surfaces) fractures into 3, 4, and 5 sided fractured-face shapes (not including the 2 other smooth faces on any big piece). It is easy to re-assemble both by hand and digitally (not referring to finger manipulation in this instance although they are needed in the physical case).

Physics Experiments