Feynman O-ring ice water demonstration
E5107
The Feynman O-ring ice water demonstration was a televised experiment by physicist Richard Feynman during the Challenger disaster investigation, vividly showing how cold temperatures compromised the shuttle’s O-ring seals.
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
public physics demonstration
→
scientific demonstration → televised experiment → |
| associatedWithOrganization |
NASA
→
Rogers Commission → |
| broadcastOn |
US television networks
→
|
| context |
investigation of Space Shuttle Challenger STS-51-L accident
→
|
| countryOfOrigin |
United States
→
|
| dateApproximate |
1986
→
|
| demonstratedFailureMode |
impaired sealing of O-rings in cold weather
→
|
| demonstratedProperty |
cold-induced brittleness of rubber O-rings
→
loss of elasticity of O-rings at low temperature → |
| documentedIn |
Feynman’s book "What Do You Care What Other People Think?"
→
Rogers Commission Report → |
| genre |
expert testimony
→
science communication → |
| hasLanguage |
English
→
|
| hasSubject |
Space Shuttle safety
→
effect of temperature on mechanical components → |
| highlightedIssue |
engineering management and communication failures at NASA
→
risk of launching at low ambient temperatures → |
| impact |
iconic example of clear scientific communication
→
increased public understanding of Challenger accident cause → |
| involvedMaterial |
rubber O-ring
→
|
| involvedPhysicalEffect |
temperature dependence of elasticity
→
thermal contraction → |
| location |
Rogers Commission hearing room
→
|
| medium |
television
→
|
| notableFor |
clarifying technical cause of Challenger disaster to the public
→
dramatic visual explanation of engineering failure → |
| performedBy |
Nobel Prize–winning physicist Richard Feynman
→
Richard Feynman → |
| performedDuring |
Rogers Commission investigation
→
|
| performedInFrontOf |
Rogers Commission members
→
television cameras → |
| precededBy |
Challenger launch decision on a cold morning
→
|
| purpose |
to show how low temperatures affected O-ring seals
→
|
| relatedConcept |
engineering ethics
→
materials science of polymers → risk communication → |
| relatedToComponent |
Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint
→
|
| relatedToEvent |
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
→
|
| showedFailureOf |
O-ring primary seal
→
O-ring redundancy at low temperature → |
| usedObject |
clamp
→
ice water → solid rocket booster O-ring sample → |
Referenced by (1)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Rogers Commission investigation of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
→
|
hasNotableEvent |