NASA's Broomstick Challenge: What does NASA's Broomstick Challenge have to do with?

NASA's broom challenge has been all over WeChat Moments, and many people have started experimenting at home, after all, it's too boring to stay at home during the pandemic. So, what is the principle of NASA's broom challenge? Why can a broom stand upright? Next, let's take a look at what NASA's broom challenge is related to.

NASA's broom challenge

The principle behind a broom standing up is very simple: the broom has a low center of gravity, and most of the weight is concentrated on the broom head. As long as the broom is straight enough and placed on a flat surface, and the stiff bristles are spread out, the broom can stand up. The principle is the same as how a tripod can stand up, there's nothing special about it.

This trick first became popular on Facebook and Twitter. I don't know why it has become popular in China these days. Maybe everyone is too bored to stay at home... CNN once made a video to explain the principle: The video is from 2012. The highest resolution on YouTube is only 360P, which shows how old this trick is~

What do you think of NASA's broomstick challenge?

This is actually quite simple, because the center of gravity of a broom is closer to the bristles than the high point of the handle. You can test the center of gravity of a broom by resting it horizontally on your fingers, like a seesaw.

So when you split the bristles, the center of gravity is naturally very close to the bottom, and it is not difficult to find a stable point. If the broom is new, the bristles are straight and hard, so it is even easier to support this center of gravity.

Because the reason why anything falls down is that the center of gravity has no support. As long as the center of gravity is supported, all problems will be solved.

So, the so-called broom challenge is actually just a test of your ability and patience to find the center of gravity, and has nothing to do with NASA.

What does NASA's broomstick challenge have to do with?

The center of gravity of a broom is closer to the ground than to the high point of the handle. You can test the center of gravity of a broom by resting it horizontally on your fingers, like a seesaw.

When you split the bristles, the center of gravity is naturally very close to the bottom, and it is not difficult to find a stable point. If the broom is new, the bristles are straight and hard, so it is even easier to support this center of gravity.