![\"Pitch](\"https:\/\/www.saturnsports.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/pitch-drop-experiment.jpg\")
It’s amazing what can happen, given enough time. For instance, could something solid act like a liquid, if left long enough?<\/p>\nIt’s amazing what can happen, given enough time. For instance, could something solid act like a liquid, if left long enough?<\/p>\n
In today’s blog post we look at the World’s Longest-Running Laboratory Experiment and find out how time (and gravity) has dropped this 87 year long (and counting) experiment into the Guinness world record books<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 1927, Thomas Parnell from the University of Queensland, Australia created an experiment to demonstrate the fluidity of seemingly solid materials.<\/p>\n Parnell wanted to show that ‘pitch’, a tough\u00a0and\u00a0solid, tar like substance that was traditionally used to help caulk the seams of wooden sailing boats, could actually behave in a similar manner to an extremely slow moving liquid.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At room temperature, pitch feels solid and can even be shattered if struck with a hammer, so Parnell began his experiment by heating the pitch and pouring it into a glass funnel. After sealing the stem of the funnel, Parnell left the pitch to settle for three years.<\/p>\n In 1930, the end of the funnel was cut, allowing the pitch to start ‘pouring’ out.<\/p>\n Gravity has since helped draw the substance out of the funnel drop by drop. However it’s an incredibly slow process, with each drop taking approximately a decade to form and fall.<\/p>\n Professor John Mainstone with the Pitch Drop Experiment<\/p><\/div>\n For many years, the custodian of this experiment was Professor John Mainstone. Sadly, Professor Mainstone was never able to actually witness a drop as it happened.<\/p>\n On three occasions he came close however, either by missing the event by a few hours and once due to\u00a0popping out of the room for a cup of tea. Cameras were installed to record the subsequent\u00a0drop, however when it did occur, the cameras were found to have malfunctioned at the crucial moment.<\/p>\n Professor Mainstone passed away in 2013, before he could witness the ninth drop in April 2014.<\/p>\n Today, you can watch The Pitch Drop Experiment<\/a> live over the internet yourself. Be warned though – it may be another 14 years or so until it drops again – so when the time once again draws near,\u00a0it may be wise to have\u00a0a thermos flask of tea on hand so you don’t miss the action.<\/p>\n Did You Know?<\/strong><\/p>\n Gorilla Glass, frequently found in smartphone and tablet screens has also demonstrated ‘pitch-like’ liquid qualities, with\u00a0researchers from the manufacturer Corning observing small micrometre movements<\/a> in the glass over time!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s amazing what can happen, given enough time. For instance, could something solid act like a liquid, if left long enough? In today’s blog post we look at the World’s Longest-Running Laboratory Experiment and find out how time (and gravity) has dropped this 87 year long (and counting) experiment into the Guinness world record books. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t![\"Professor](\"https:\/\/www.saturnsports.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/pitch-drop-experiment-mainstone.jpg\")