Why did the flag wave on the moon?
In: Physics
So there are a couple of points as why the flag “waves” on the moon and some misunderstandings as well. I’m on mobile so please excuse any formatting issues etc.
1) there is a vertical pole for the flag, as per normal. But also a horizontal one as well that displays the stars and stripes clearly. If there was no horizontal pole then the flag would just hang down by the vertical one, not very clearly the flag of the USA and it would not look as good. The horizontal pole shows the stars and strips in all its glory.
2). In putting up the flag and the poles movement was imparted onto the flag causing the flag to move. The flag is actually moving at this point.
3) as the flag is in a vacuum there is no damping effect of he air slowing down its movement so the flag moves after being touched, as described in 2, for a lot longer than one would expect.
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