Posted by Dr. Science on 02/24/2012 in
Question |
If two champagne corks — one made of plastic and one of actual cork — were popped simultaneously from their respective bottles atop the Leaning Tower of Pisa, would they hit the ground at the same time?
———- from Gordon of Pierre, South Dakota
It depends on the brand of champagne. The initial velocity of the cork is directly correlated to the price of the bottle. It would also depend on how well chilled the bottles were. Even the attitude of the person popping the cork enters into the equation. A haughty head waiter would stifle the cork, while a boisterous fellow might help it alongl Leonardo da Vinci and his pal Pope Leo IX conducted a similar experiment in 1511, but no accurate results are known. I just hope they had fun together.
