Have you ever wondered what it would be like to swim in a pool filled with thousands of plastic balls? A YouTuber decided to find out by diving into an experiment with shade balls, which are usually used to cover reservoirs in Los Angeles. This article takes you through the exciting journey of getting 10,000 shade balls and the challenges faced while trying to swim in them.
The YouTuber’s interest in shade balls started after making a video about them. Viewers were curious if it was possible to swim in these plastic spheres. Even though shade balls are meant for drinking water reservoirs, the YouTuber’s curiosity led to a daring decision: buy 10,000 shade balls and take a swim!
Getting 10,000 shade balls wasn’t easy. The YouTuber contacted the manufacturer, who was skeptical about swimming in them, but eventually agreed to sell them. The next challenge was moving these heavy balls, each bag weighing about 300 kilograms (660 pounds). With the help of a moving company, the shade balls were transported to a pool for the big experiment.
When the shade balls were poured into the pool, 6,000 balls didn’t completely cover the surface, but they formed cool patterns. The YouTuber jumped in to try swimming, discovering that it was possible but not easy. The balls created a lot of resistance, making it hard to swim smoothly.
Although shade balls are meant to block sunlight, about 9% of light still got through, creating interesting reflections on the pool floor. The noise from the balls was loud, making it tough to hear anything else while swimming.
The YouTuber tried different swimming strokes like breaststroke and freestyle but found the balls heavy and hard to move through. It felt like being in a rock tumbler, with the balls bumping into each other and creating drag.
After figuring out that swimming in a single layer of shade balls was possible, the YouTuber tried swimming in multiple layers, similar to how they are stacked in the LA reservoir. However, running or gliding across the surface didn’t work because the balls could only support a small part of the swimmer’s weight.
In a surprising discovery, the YouTuber found that swimming beneath the surface of the shade balls was more effective. By using a unique style, they managed to move through the balls, which acted like a solid mass when layered. This method offered a strange floating experience, similar to being in quicksand.
After the experiment, the YouTuber faced the question of what to do with all those shade balls. The creative solution was to sign each ball and send them to Patreon supporters as a thank-you gift. This not only engaged the audience but also added a personal touch to the experiment.
In conclusion, while swimming in shade balls was a challenging and unusual experience, it showed how curiosity and experimentation can help us learn more about the world.
Imagine you are the YouTuber planning to buy shade balls. Each bag weighs about 300 kilograms. If you need to transport 10,000 shade balls, calculate the total weight in kilograms and pounds. Use the conversion: 1 kilogram = 2.20462 pounds. Discuss how you would handle the logistics of moving such a heavy load.
Conduct a simple experiment to observe how light and sound behave in different environments. Use a flashlight and a sound meter app to measure how much light and sound pass through various materials, such as plastic wrap or a thin cloth. Compare your findings to the 9% light transmission through shade balls mentioned in the article.
Based on the YouTuber’s experience, design your own swimming technique to move through a pool filled with obstacles. Draw a diagram of your technique and explain how it minimizes resistance and drag. Consider how you would adapt your strokes to move efficiently through the shade balls.
Use your creativity to design an art project using the concept of shade balls. You could create a model of a pool with shade balls or design a pattern that could be formed by the balls on water. Present your project to the class and explain how it relates to the experiment.
Imagine you are one of the shade balls in the YouTuber’s pool. Write a short story from the perspective of the shade ball, describing the experience of being part of the experiment. Include details about the journey from the manufacturer to the pool and the interactions with the YouTuber.
Shade – A region where light is blocked by an object, creating an area of darkness or reduced light intensity. – When the tree blocks the sunlight, it creates a shade on the ground where the temperature is cooler.
Balls – Spherical objects often used in experiments to demonstrate principles of motion and gravity. – In the physics lab, we used balls of different masses to study how gravity affects their acceleration.
Swim – The movement through a fluid, such as water, often used to study principles of buoyancy and fluid dynamics. – Fish swim by using their fins to push against the water, demonstrating the principle of action and reaction.
Experiment – A scientific procedure undertaken to test a hypothesis by collecting data and observing outcomes. – We conducted an experiment to see how different surfaces affect the speed of a rolling ball.
Light – A form of energy that travels in waves and can be seen by the human eye. – When light passes through a prism, it splits into a spectrum of colors, demonstrating refraction.
Sound – A form of energy that travels through air or other mediums as vibrations, which can be heard when they reach the ear. – The sound of the bell travels through the air as waves, which we can hear when they reach our ears.
Technique – A specific method or way of doing something, often used in scientific experiments to ensure accuracy and reliability. – Using the right technique, we measured the volume of the irregular object by submerging it in water.
Resistance – A measure of how much a material opposes the flow of electric current, often measured in ohms ($Omega$). – The resistance of the wire affects how much current flows through the circuit, according to Ohm’s Law: $V = IR$.
Patterns – Regular and repeated arrangements or sequences observed in data or natural phenomena. – We noticed patterns in the data that showed a direct relationship between temperature and pressure.
Curiosity – A strong desire to learn or know more about something, often driving scientific inquiry and discovery. – Curiosity led the students to ask questions about how magnets work, sparking a lively discussion in class.
