메뉴 건너뛰기

OBG

정보게시판

과학
2010.05.15 22:39

Why do wires get tangled up?

조회 수 343 추천 수 0 댓글 0
?

단축키

Prev이전 문서

Next다음 문서

크게 작게 위로 아래로 댓글로 가기 인쇄
?

단축키

Prev이전 문서

Next다음 문서

크게 작게 위로 아래로 댓글로 가기 인쇄

 

 

his post is a tribute to this site – It certainly made me google (bing u would say?) up on a question that always confronted me everyday.

Why do wires get tangled up?

It happens with my earphones, my mouse cable, my laptop cable, my mobile charger cable – any cable or wire I use. I’ll sort it carefully and keep it in its place, and few hours later, voila! It’ll be in a complete mess with multiple knots and it’ll take me atleast a few minutes to clear it up.

Results of googling:

a) Best Result

The reason stuff like this happens has to do with entropy and statistics.  It comes down to this: whenever you have a system with many possible states, all of roughly equivalent energies, and then you allow energy input to “scramble” the system, then you will see this effect.
Basically, the idea is that there are MANY more unordered ways the system (eg, bunch of wires) can be arranged than there are ordered ways.  So, if you input energy (jumble them around) the odds are overwhelming that the output will be one of the disorder states.
Take an example.  Fill a jar half full of green jelly beans.  Then put a nice flat layer of red jelly beans carefully on top.  Close the lid.  Now lay the jar on it’s side and roll it down stairs.  You are inputting energy to the system to scramble it.  Even though it COULD happen that the beans end up still in a nice colorful layer, the odds are that you will have a jar full of mixed red and green jelly beans.
Now think about your cable wires.  In your pocket, as you walk around, sit, stand etc, you are putting energy into the system to mix it up.  As soon as the wires move around even a little, it’s very unlikely that they will ever just happen to go back.  The longer they stay in your pocket, the more mixed up they get.

The reason stuff like this happens has to do with entropy and statistics.  It comes down to this: whenever you have a system with many possible states, all of roughly equivalent energies, and then you allow energy input to “scramble” the system, then you will see this effect.

Basically, the idea is that there are MANY more unordered ways the system (eg, bunch of wires) can be arranged than there are ordered ways.  So, if you input energy (jumble them around) the odds are overwhelming that the output will be one of the disorder states.

Take an example.  Fill a jar half full of green jelly beans.  Then put a nice flat layer of red jelly beans carefully on top.  Close the lid.  Now lay the jar on it’s side and roll it down stairs.  You are inputting energy to the system to scramble it.  Even though it COULD happen that the beans end up still in a nice colorful layer, the odds are that you will have a jar full of mixed red and green jelly beans.

Now think about your cable wires.  In your pocket, as you walk around, sit, stand etc, you are putting energy into the system to mix it up.  As soon as the wires move around even a little, it’s very unlikely that they will ever just happen to go back.  The longer they stay in your pocket, the more mixed up they get.

b) Most Innovative Result (lol! :D )

There is a conspiracy when you turn your back little gnomes appear and tangle them up into teeny tiny knots while they steal your socks and hide your car keys

c) Alternate Theories (hmm…)

  1. I say it’s due to a small group of creature’s called the tangle pixies who get a kick out of it, much like the gnomes who steal underpants.
  2. It’s because of something similar to the Tooth Fairy. It’s the Wire Tangling Fairy, and it doesn’t give you money.
  3. And you thought Lord of the Rings was a fictional movie! Huh! :P

     

    http://ninjatalli.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/why-do-wires-get-tangled-up/

?

List of Articles
번호 분류 제목 글쓴이 날짜 조회 수
193 시사 박근혜 돌발영상(?) Naya 2011.12.09 403
192 IT 실리콘 밸리 시대를 연 8인의 배신자와 인텔 Naya 2011.12.12 399
191 시사 “청와대 지시로 디도스 금전거래 덮었다” Naya 2011.12.18 343
190 IT 윈도우 임베디드 CE 프로젝트의 12가지 금기 너울 2012.01.12 303
189 IT 아이콘 모음 너울 2012.03.28 330
188 IT TI eZ430 (Programmable watch) Naya 2012.04.06 308
187 IT Google Project Glass: One day... Naya 2012.04.07 276
186 IT 전문작업용으론 사용하기 애매한 27인치 보급형 QHD 모니터들 너울 2012.04.09 300
185 IT 개발자가 안드로이드 대신 iOS를 선택하는 이유 Naya 2012.04.10 488
184 IT 네이버, 노무현을 지우다 Naya 2012.04.15 312
183 교양 음료수에 들어가는 설탕의 양 Naya 2012.04.16 317
182 과학 교통신호 위반, 물리 문제 풀이로 무죄 Naya 2012.04.16 389
181 IT 리눅스는 어떻게 만들어질까? Naya 2012.04.17 337
180 시사 서울대 법대 수석 천재 혹은 수재의 명과 암 Naya 2012.04.18 656
179 시사 1986년 부천서 성고문 사건 변론 요지서를 보며 Naya 2012.04.18 587
178 시사 김근태 고문사건 Naya 2012.04.18 1671
177 IT Windows MultiPoint Server 소개 Naya 2012.04.23 310
176 과학 석유가 사라진 후 인류 시나리오.jpg Naya 2012.05.04 307
175 IT NHN이 설립하는 ‘NHN NEXT 학교’, 공식 홈페이지 오픈 Naya 2012.05.11 318
174 IT Windows 8 메트로 UI를 마우스와 키보드로 제어하는 소개 영상 너울 2012.05.14 291
Board Pagination Prev 1 ... 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ... 19 Next
/ 19
위로