
Slow-Motion Footage Captures Rubber Band Ripples - sohkamyung
https://physics.aps.org/articles/v11/136
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Buttons840
This reminds me of something I observed with water. If you get a thin, smooth,
and clear (no air bubbles) stream of water coming out of a faucet, you can put
your finger into the stream and it will cause a disruption of the smooth flow
of water up to an inch _above_ your finger. It's subtle and you might have to
look at it in the right lighting to notice. I guess it's not too surprising
since the speed of sound through water is faster than the water is falling, so
the waves are able to propagate up the falling stream.

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andrewflnr
> The ripples reduce the tension around the thumb, allowing the thumb to drop
> quickly, before the rear of the band reaches it.

I don't think you need ripples for this...? The tension on your thumb is
plenty capable of pulling it out of the way of the oncoming rubber band. I
assumed this was just part of elemental rubber band shooting technique.

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hawktheslayer
I love that the article explains why it doesn't strike the thumb. Sometimes I
am not fast enough and it does hit my thumb, which is why I opt for the method
where you wind it around your thumb to create a trigger.

