Now for an experiment that was part of the title, “Flying Potatoes”. After I had measured, cut, and flared the end of a PVC pipe, I stuck the not-so-sharp end into the potato (Not as easy as it looks).
Once I had a piece of raw potato in one end, I pushed it up into the pipe approximately six inches from the flared end. After that, I stuck the pipe in again now ready to shoot some potatoes.
Taking a dowel rod with a duck tape stopper, I went outside to our freshly raked backyard. Anxious to see what would happen, I put the rod at the end of the pipe against the potato and pushed it through! The air should push on the other potato piece and send it flying.
In that second picture there you could see that I have a bit of confusion on my face. That is because when I pushed the rod, the potato did come out, even though it made a hilarious sound it only came out a few feet in front of me…. what happened?
This was a perfect opportunity to practice the scientific method. My hypothesis: I did not compress the air fast enough. So I tried again, only this time moving the rod faster. The results were a little disappointing. The potato came out and immediately dropped down.
Then I realized that when I pushed the potato, the rod moved way too easily.
Hypothesis #2: Not a proper air seal. So I put fresh potato in the pipe (it takes a lot of effort) and redid the test. It made a wonderful sound but still did not work. It still felt like I did not have a good seal.
What now? Well, my brilliant mother suggested I put some oil on the potato to help it slide easier and just might help the seal I was on a important mission of science! I pushed the pipe into the potato and then pulled the pieces out and covered them in vegetable oil and stuck them back in.
I redid the test without success.
After all of these tests, I was extremely tired and I was losing daylight so I stopped for the day. I wasn’t going to continue, but since I have been writing all of this down, I realized something. Look at how hard I am pushing down on this potato.
Observation #1: My pipe was just not sharp enough. In fact, it was not sharp AT ALL! So I should take more time to make it sharp so that it would be easier for the pipe to past through the potato.
Observation #2: I am practically using all my might to get that pipe into that hard potato and so what is happening to that potato? Put yourself in that poor potato's shoes. I do not know about you but I would be screaming. It is being crushed and deformed. By the time the potato is in the pipe, it is bent and turned into mashed potatoes!!
So this gives me enough reason to try again and to not stop until I succeed. Also, if I quit I would be missing one of the best parts of science.
Stay tuned.
