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The curious incident of the chocolate custard on the ceiling! Can somebody explain the physics behind this?

14 replies

nevergoogledragonbutter · 30/08/2009 21:01

Here is the scene...

DS1 is nearly 5 and was eating a little pot of chocolate custard. Yuck I know, but anyway. He dropped, just let it slip through his fingers.
It hit the tiled floor.

How?
HOW?

How did the majority of the spillage end up on the ceiling with a little blob also ON HIS BACK??

The rest was still in the pot!

The pot was dropped from the height of a five year olds hands sitting on a trip trap if that is of any consequence.

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SoupDragon · 30/08/2009 21:03

Because 2 minutes before, when your back was turned/you were blinking he flicked a spoonful up onto the ceiling. The drop was simply to cover his tracks.

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dizzymare · 30/08/2009 21:03

Custard is only designed to travel in one direction, and that is up!

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whomovedmychocolate · 30/08/2009 21:04

Hurrah! She's wearing her proper name

It's to do with the impact I believe, the velocity of the fall means the pot weighs much more than the custard when it hits the deck, and the custard is forced upwards, it hits the natural stop point, in your case the ceiling and then splatters back down on your son's back.

You know what you need, a chocolate custard carseat for the highchair

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Tortington · 30/08/2009 21:04

this is where MB would have been useful

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whomovedmychocolate · 30/08/2009 21:08

Actually it may also involve the water quotient of the custard, if the most liquid bit was on the top that would fly whereas the solider bit would probably remain within the cup, particularly if the cup flexed on impact, absorbing most of the shock and only expelling a percentage of the gunk.

However I suspect Soupy has the right answer here

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 30/08/2009 21:43

I'm loving the scientific explanations whomoved.

Oooh Soupy, surely not????

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 30/08/2009 21:44

Dizzymare, you are profound!

Custardo, MB?

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whomovedmychocolate · 30/08/2009 21:45

MartianBishop?

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 30/08/2009 21:46

Custard fan or physicist?

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NorbertDentressangle · 30/08/2009 21:49

Simple.

This calculation explains it (where "d" is the consistency of the chocolate custard and "c" is the ceiling height):

d x V (10x 100)+ 7# (56 =7x) :: 78 x 5% + y = (99~ 4432% x c^)

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 30/08/2009 21:52

rofl.

I thought as much.

The best bit was when DS2 who is 2 went into the living room to check the ceiling in there.

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NorbertDentressangle · 30/08/2009 21:55

aah, lol at DS2.

If you do find out how it happened can you also find out why there is red wine on the wall of our living room behind a massive plant nowhere near where we sit.

As its red wine I can't even blame the DC

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 30/08/2009 22:02

hmmm, curious ND

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IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern · 30/08/2009 22:13

THese things always amaze me ned to get out more?? me???
Years ago I droppedd a bag full of shopping inside was a jar of some sauce or other, the jar smashed, so how on earth did it appear to jump over my head and sacue splatter the wall behind me and hit the ceiling also??
No idea baffled me for ages and I kept finding little specks on that wall in various places for days and days after.

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