A Ton of Iron and a Ton of Feathers

[Brumfondl]

I fully realise that a ton of iron = a ton of feathers weight wise. BUT for some crazy reason I was wondering if it would actually be possible to get the two to balance on a (admittedly rather large) set of scales? I am kinda leaning towards no unless you were to do it in a vaccuum.

Thoughts?

Brumfondl

[IEatRoflWafflz]

Why wouldn't you be able to? If someone wanted to waste that much time and money making a scale that large to fit a ton of feathers it would work you know why? Because the scale would be the way you can tell if it were 1 ton of feathers.

[Tobywongg]

They weigh the same. If you can figure out how to make a scale hold that amount of feathers, then it'll balance.

[Brumfondl]

To me, the issue is the size of the ton of feathers. You would need a very large container to fit them and that would open you up to outside influences, hence my feeling that you would be successful in a vaccuum. Wind and distribution, I think, would become factors in getting it to balance.

Brumfondl

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

To me, the issue is the size of the ton of feathers. You would need a very large container to fit them and that would open you up to outside influences, hence my feeling that you would be successful in a vaccuum. Wind and distribution, I think, would become factors in getting it to balance.

Brumfondl

Assuming the containers weight the same, you don't need a vacuum, you just need a really large box and a closed in space, like a warehouse.

[IEatRoflWafflz]

To me, the issue is the size of the ton of feathers. You would need a very large container to fit them and that would open you up to outside influences, hence my feeling that you would be successful in a vaccuum. Wind and distribution, I think, would become factors in getting it to balance.

Brumfondl

Imagine trying to check the weight of water on a scale then...Just put them both in equal, closed, containers and then weigh them both.

[Brumfondl]

Assuming the containers weight the same, you don't need a vacuum, you just need a really large box and a closed in space, like a warehouse.

That does make sense. Don't you just want Mythbusters to try though?

Brumfondl

[Trainwreck]

Maybe I'm missing something, but....get a warehouse (no wind), build the scales, adjust the scales for the weight of the containers (this is standard procedure even for weighing small item), then put the iron and feathers in their respective containers. Distribution could easily be compensated by the design of the scales. To me this seems like a very simple endeavor once the resources are secured.

Found this on another site: this site: http://www.ecogoods.com/Linens/Beddi...alBedroom.html says their pillows weigh about 1lb each. Theres around 2000lb in a ton depending on what lb and ton you use (Has typical grumble about backwards merkins). So imagine a pallet of pillows 20x10x10. Thats a ton of feathers.

The size is actually quite reasonable, many warehouses have industrial size scales that can easily accommodate that.

[IEatRoflWafflz]

That does make sense. Don't you just want Mythbusters to try though?

Brumfondl

Nope. According to the internet (yeah w/e bad sources) 1 feather weighs approximately .00125 pounds....this would require 1,600,000 feathers to make one ton. The amount of time, money, and effort it would take to gather 1,600,000 feathers (clean them to make sure no dirt residue etc remains) along with making a box that can fit over one and a half million feathers AND a scale that is large enough to fit it would be silly and be pretty much a waste of time.

Edit: This would be the approximate of gathering 90 Thousand doves and plucking each of their wings to get this amount of feathers...not too humane either lol

[vizzle]

That does make sense. Don't you just want Mythbusters to try though?

Brumfondl

Why doesn't it make sense? If you have a giant box with a ton of iron and a giant box with a ton of feathers, put the boxes on opposite ends of the scale, then they would balance out. The box is there it keep all the feathers in place.

[Dazzy]

Big enough scale = balance for equal weights of anything, period.

The thing with the vacuum is if you put a ton of iron and a ton of feathers in a vacuum, they will fall at exactly the same speed, every time. Outside a vacuum the iron will fall faster due to less surface volume and less air resistance.

If you could make the ton of feathers the same shape, size and surface resistance the same as the ton of iron they would theoretically fall at the same speed outside a vacuum.

[Deleted]

Out of interest... Why does it need to be "a ton"? I mean, for the purpose of demonstrating that "one X of HEAVY = one Z of light", the weight itself is secondary, isn't it?

1g of iron vs 1g of feathers proves the same point.
1kg of iron...
10kg of iron...
...
1 million kg of iron...

It doesn't really matter.

So why get hellbent on making a big ass scale when you could just make a smaller one, reduce the necessary weight, and get the same result?

---------- Post added 2012-08-28 at 05:15 AM ----------

Big enough scale = balance for equal weights of anything, period.

The thing with the vacuum is if you put a ton of iron and a ton of feathers in a vacuum, they will fall at exactly the same speed, every time. Outside a vacuum the iron will fall faster due to less surface volume and less air resistance.

If you could make the ton of feathers the same shape, size and surface resistance the same as the ton of iron they would theoretically fall at the same speed outside a vacuum.

"Space" becomes a non-issue if you're keeping the materials in a closed space, like a box, and then measure that.

[Adam Jensen]

Put the feathers in a very large cargo container. When the scale equals 1 ton + the weight of the container, you have a ton of feathers.

[Brumfondl]

The ton is purely due to the old trick question... "which weighs more, a ton of feathers or a ton of (something dense such as iron)". A smaller weight does not have the same issues as the large weight.

People have posted ways to get around the issues I could see with the problem I posed and I thank them for that

Brumfondl

[smokefactory]

To me, the issue is the size of the ton of feathers. You would need a very large container to fit them and that would open you up to outside influences, hence my feeling that you would be successful in a vaccuum. Wind and distribution, I think, would become factors in getting it to balance.

Brumfondl

Compressing the feathers won't change their weight...

[Masark]

Compressing the feathers won't change their weight...

Depends how you compress them.

If you compress them horizontally, you'd reduce the area of air pressure adding to their mass and would effectively reduce their weight as far as the balance is concerned.

[Kolossal]

Depends how you compress them.

If you compress them horizontally, you'd reduce the area of air pressure adding to their mass and would effectively reduce their weight as far as the balance is concerned.

It doesn't matter. A ton of anything is equal to a ton of anything else. A ton of compressed feathers is STILL a ton of feathers.

[Masark]

It doesn't matter. A ton of anything is equal to a ton of anything else. A ton of compressed feathers is STILL a ton of feathers.

You didn't read all of what I wrote. If it has more area, it will have more weight as shown by a balance or scale thanks to 100km of atmosphere pressing down. It would be a ton of mass still, but different apparent weight.

[Shadoweye]

You guys are not thinking this problem out simply.... feathers can be condensed, or packed. So the area truly needed isnt as big as 1 might think.

[kcsaenz]

Lets revisit the vacuum idea. Feathers are less dense than steel so a ton of feathers would displace more air than a ton of steel. So if you were to weigh out a ton of steel and a ton of feathers then put them in a vacuum the feathers would weigh slightly more.

You didn't read all of what I wrote. If it has more area, it will have more weight as shown by a balance or scale thanks to 100km of atmosphere pressing down. It would be a ton of mass still, but different apparent weight.

Not true. Since the air is pressing on the objects and scale from all directions not just down. the forces cancel each other out.