Toy models for the falling chimney Gabriele Varieschi* and Kaoru Kamiya Department of Physics, Loyola Marymount University One LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045 (Dated: May 22, 2006) Abstract In this paper we review the theory of the "falling chimney", which deals with the breaking in mid-air of tall structures, when they fall to the ground. We show that these ruptures can be caused by either shear forces, typically developing near the base, or by the bending of the structure, which is caused primarily by the internal bending moment In the latter case the breaking is more likely to occur between one third and one half of the height of the chimney. Small scale toy models are used to reproduce the dynamics of the falling chimney By examining photos taken during the fall of these models we test the adequacy of the outlined theory. This type of experiment, easy to perform and conceptually challenging, can become part of a rotational mechanics lab for undergraduate studentarXiv:physics/0210033 v2 17 Feb 2003 Toy models for the falling chimney Gabriele Varieschi ∗ and Kaoru Kamiya † Department of Physics, Loyola Marymount University, One LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045 (Dated: May 22, 2006) Abstract In this paper we review the theory of the “falling chimney”, which deals with the breaking in mid-air of tall structures, when they fall to the ground. We show that these ruptures can be caused by either shear forces, typically developing near the base, or by the bending of the structure, which is caused primarily by the internal bending moment. In the latter case the breaking is more likely to occur between one third and one half of the height of the chimney. Small scale toy models are used to reproduce the dynamics of the falling chimney. By examining photos taken during the fall of these models we test the adequacy of the outlined theory. This type of experiment, easy to perform and conceptually challenging, can become part of a rotational mechanics lab for undergraduate students. 1