Spin a rope around your head. The end of the rope goes much faster than the part you are holding, yet the rope is connected and doesn’t fall apart. Therefore, things that are connected can travel at different velocities and remain connected. There’s nothing mysterious here.
I had more fun with my mother’s Zenith Cobra. It held ten records and could play at any speed up to 100 RPM by adjusting a sliding scale with 16, 33, 45, and 78 marked on it. It had vacuum tubes, bought in 1948 for $100, and this was 1962.
I remember in marching band forming a rotating wheel. The kids in the hub barely moved while those of us on the outside had to practically run. Try doing that with a sousaphone!
Another fun fact: A DVD has more bits on the outside tracks than the inside ones. So the player needs to adjust the rotation speed to adjust for where the laser is.
While not the same thing, this fact comes to mind: the planets have SLOWER orbital speeds the further they are from the sun. But a line between any planet and the sun sweeps out an equal area, during a given time interval, compared to any other planet in the solar system. (Kepler’s 2nd law of planetary motion.)
Sad, if the child’s mind can’t work up any interest in that. Hopefully in ten years or so. Like when my dad tried to introduce me to jazz when I was maybe five. It was too early and I was too immature, just a glorified pre-schooler. Ehh…around ten years later when I got my first CD player and started rummaging through the CD bins at the library, the first bin I went to was jazz.
See, I’m not a math person but that makes perfect sense to me. It’s like if two cars are racing around the same circle track, one on the far inside and one on the far outside,. Obviously the car on the outside needs to go much faster to get around the circle at the same time as the car on the inner track. Right? Or is there more to it?
Maybe Cal wouldn’t have been as freaked out if Dad showed him how to experiment with the concept. Put some light object on the turntable very close to the center so that, as it spins, the object stays put. But when moved farther and farther out, it begins to move. And by the time it gets to the very outer edge, it gets flung off…
And maybe that’s why Calvin switched from records to cassettes. (Given the Dad was not a fan of then-current technologies, they likely never had a CD player.)
I had to go WAAAAY back to figure out what he was talking about and came to the conclusion it does not matter at all!!! I don’t need or want to know all that “stuff”.
He should have told Calvin that when they are riding in the car, the spot on the surface of the tire where the tire contacts the road as it rotates around the axle has a forward speed of zero MPH despite the fact that the car is moving forward at whatever speed they are driving.
The outer point is like adults, seeing much higher distance as compered to the kids which see the minimum distance but both moving at same angular speed. I guess life goes that way.
Ive commented to this subject before in more than one site and meeting of minds. The mathematical theorymn makes me crazy, too, until I just say “O well, I’m confused, here, so guess I’ll just listen to the music play….”
To us adults, and perhaps to a child past fifth grade or at least in Middle School: dad’s referring to what the teacher was talking about in Physics class. To a six year old First Grade Student, and particularly in Kalvin’s case: Did Dad just mention a revolution! (please add as backdrop music Revolution by The Beatles).
And the same thing applies to us! Someone standing at the Equator travels further than someone further north (or south) to complete the same 24 hour rotation.
Back around the turn of the century, we were visiting friends when their teenage son showed up with a friend carrying an old portable record player and a couple of LPs that they’d found at a second-hand shop. They were fascinated. We could hear them playing the records at different speeds and basically doing all the things we had done as little kids with phonographs.
I really feel sorry for the kids I teach these days. They grew up in a magical world, and most of them don’t have the faintest idea how any of it works. When we build some gadget and one of them wants to take it to the next level, I know there is some hope for that kid. Sadly, the majority seem content to live in ignorant bliss concerning the workings of their magical world. Sometimes the phrase “twilight of the gods” comes to mind…
Ever sit on one of those spinning platters at the Fun House? You learn about relative velocities real fast when you’re flung off at the speed of sound.
It’s called surface speed. In the US it’s measured in surface feet per minute or sfm most of the rest of the world surface meters per minute or smm. Highly important in the metal cutting industry.
codycab 6 days ago
And so we ponder what exactly Dad taught us all.
dadthedawg Premium Member 6 days ago
Dad, you’ve got me confused…..
Sugar Bombs 95 6 days ago
And that’s why Dad always makes up fake answers.
salakfarm Premium Member 6 days ago
I’d hate to see a grown-up Calvin after the way he was raised.
The Calvinosaurus That Calvin Wanted To Discover 6 days ago
Staying awake all night trying to comprehend a tough math problem builds character.
Robert4170 6 days ago
Calvin’s dad would elicit a “yeah, and?” response from me. The radial velocity is the same.
Concretionist 6 days ago
A clear indication of the age of the comic. Like, “Umm… what’s THAT thing going around and around??”
Imagine 6 days ago
And that is why we weigh approx. 0.5% more at the poles than at the equator.
ꜝ 6 days ago
groovy
c001 6 days ago
“…so the music gets faster and faster with time.”
snsurone76 6 days ago
Surprising that Calvin didn’t fall asleep from Dad’s empty bathering!
Snoopy_Fan 6 days ago
Okay, that’s gonna keep me up tonight.
californiamonty 6 days ago
Wait until you learn about Relativity, Calvin. You’ll look back on this moment fondly.
DaveG1960 6 days ago
He went on record to say that……..
enigmamz 6 days ago
Angular speed can be hard to get your head around.
El-Kabong 6 days ago
Is there anything that revolves not like that?
walt.donovan 6 days ago
Spin a rope around your head. The end of the rope goes much faster than the part you are holding, yet the rope is connected and doesn’t fall apart. Therefore, things that are connected can travel at different velocities and remain connected. There’s nothing mysterious here.
Mediatech 6 days ago
Aristotle’s Wheel Paradox
ꜝ 6 days ago
any possibility that record was Turn, Turn, Turn by the Byrds?
mobeydick 6 days ago
OK, but …what’s a record?
VegaAlopex 6 days ago
I had more fun with my mother’s Zenith Cobra. It held ten records and could play at any speed up to 100 RPM by adjusting a sliding scale with 16, 33, 45, and 78 marked on it. It had vacuum tubes, bought in 1948 for $100, and this was 1962.
su43dipta 6 days ago
I’m pretty sure all of the “what’s that thing there” comments here are made by people who know very well what a record player is!!
cdward 6 days ago
I remember in marching band forming a rotating wheel. The kids in the hub barely moved while those of us on the outside had to practically run. Try doing that with a sousaphone!
Bilan 6 days ago
Another fun fact: A DVD has more bits on the outside tracks than the inside ones. So the player needs to adjust the rotation speed to adjust for where the laser is.
Walrus Gumbo Premium Member 6 days ago
You spin me right ‘round, baby, right round, like a record, baby, right ‘round, round, round – Dead or Alive
Purple People Eater 6 days ago
Judging by the last panel, that wasn’t interesting, it was mean.
Kimmies01 6 days ago
Poor Calvin…that is enough to keep any six year old awake.
A R V reader 6 days ago
Being nervous builds character.
steveh64 6 days ago
While not the same thing, this fact comes to mind: the planets have SLOWER orbital speeds the further they are from the sun. But a line between any planet and the sun sweeps out an equal area, during a given time interval, compared to any other planet in the solar system. (Kepler’s 2nd law of planetary motion.)
pixiekitten Premium Member 6 days ago
It’s still better than Hamster Huey, dad.
tpcox928 6 days ago
I remember this strip from years ago, did this to my kids.
The Wolf In Your Midst 6 days ago
The word “interesting” can cover so much ground….
SquidGamerGal 6 days ago
I think Calvin’s brain broke!
nancyb creator 6 days ago
My father explained that to me when I was Calvin’s age.
More Coffee Please! Premium Member 6 days ago
I’m with Calvin.
MS72 6 days ago
I suppose as the spin approaches the speed of light, the record disappears!
DawnQuinn1 6 days ago
Actually dad is right, but Calvin cannot ponder why. Strictly physics.
The Angel of the South 6 days ago
Sad, if the child’s mind can’t work up any interest in that. Hopefully in ten years or so. Like when my dad tried to introduce me to jazz when I was maybe five. It was too early and I was too immature, just a glorified pre-schooler. Ehh…around ten years later when I got my first CD player and started rummaging through the CD bins at the library, the first bin I went to was jazz.
Niko S 6 days ago
Dad’s pretty smart. He even made Calvin zone out completely.
Crazy Comics 6 days ago
Their whole family is too smart! Calvin is six – yet is as smarter then probably past elementary and his dad just explained him….I don’t even know.
NELS BALWIT Premium Member 6 days ago
I wonder if the fidelity of the music degrades as the needle moves slower and slower as it moves inward?
Robert- 50d99b] 6 days ago
Still trying to figure out why my house has all Southern exposure.
TampaFanatic1 6 days ago
I am guessing that Calvin’s dad thought this tidbit of information could help Calvin “build character”.
Bruce1253 6 days ago
“She Blinded Me With Science. . .” – Thomas Dolby
Aaronious 6 days ago
This blew my mind too when I saw it demonstrated on a globe when I was Calvin’s age!!!
BilboDaddy 6 days ago
Math guy. Love it.
countoftowergrove 6 days ago
Be under no illusions: dads fouque with their kids!
John Leonard Premium Member 6 days ago
Dad, let me introduce you to a little thing called “angular velocity”.
BikerMan 6 days ago
Of course, Spaceman Spiff already knew that.
ilovecomics*infinity 6 days ago
See, I’m not a math person but that makes perfect sense to me. It’s like if two cars are racing around the same circle track, one on the far inside and one on the far outside,. Obviously the car on the outside needs to go much faster to get around the circle at the same time as the car on the inner track. Right? Or is there more to it?
ChessPirate 6 days ago
Maybe Cal wouldn’t have been as freaked out if Dad showed him how to experiment with the concept. Put some light object on the turntable very close to the center so that, as it spins, the object stays put. But when moved farther and farther out, it begins to move. And by the time it gets to the very outer edge, it gets flung off…
RobinHood 6 days ago
Somewhere else, Jason Foxtrot is doing the same thing, but to his father.
Ishka Bibel 6 days ago
And the Flat Earthers’ minds explode
ladykat 6 days ago
You’re giving your son nightmares.
yangeldf 6 days ago
that’s why it’s harder to spin a bigger wheel
Watchdog 6 days ago
Now I know why I failed Algebra but not Geometry
Calvins Brother 6 days ago
“But what does that have to do with the song I’m listening to?”
g04922 6 days ago
Physics will NOT be one of Calvin’s best subjects in High School…
wiley207 6 days ago
And maybe that’s why Calvin switched from records to cassettes. (Given the Dad was not a fan of then-current technologies, they likely never had a CD player.)
wndflower1 6 days ago
fathers teaching their son?? not today, that’s for sure!
stamps 6 days ago
Just wait until you have to take calculus, Calvin.
GKBOWOOD Premium Member 6 days ago
Reminds me of our solar system diagrams.
mistercatworks 6 days ago
“Now, imagine a record as large as The Milky Way Galaxy … "
kathleenhicks62 6 days ago
I had to go WAAAAY back to figure out what he was talking about and came to the conclusion it does not matter at all!!! I don’t need or want to know all that “stuff”.
WildsidePhoto Premium Member 6 days ago
He should have told Calvin that when they are riding in the car, the spot on the surface of the tire where the tire contacts the road as it rotates around the axle has a forward speed of zero MPH despite the fact that the car is moving forward at whatever speed they are driving.
mindjob 6 days ago
Ok, this didn’t inspire him. Better stick to horror films
yarnm57 6 days ago
When I was that age, I think I explained that to my dad.
tddrmchl 6 days ago
Same angular speed, different linear speed. The end!
smsrt 6 days ago
Ah! But then turn the record backwards and what does it say? “Turn me on deadman, turn me on deadman…” You want to see Calvin’s head spin?
hagarthehorrible 6 days ago
The outer point is like adults, seeing much higher distance as compered to the kids which see the minimum distance but both moving at same angular speed. I guess life goes that way.
markkahler52 6 days ago
Ive commented to this subject before in more than one site and meeting of minds. The mathematical theorymn makes me crazy, too, until I just say “O well, I’m confused, here, so guess I’ll just listen to the music play….”
markkahler52 6 days ago
So, Calvin; you’re confused. Just listen to the music play….
markkahler52 6 days ago
Roll away – the dew. The music never stopped!
Uncle $crooge 6 days ago
An ex-President will be along shortly to explain it so that even the dimmest bulb can understand it.
liberalnlovinit 6 days ago
Messin’ with the kids head using geography…
lnrokr55 6 days ago
Ain’t science grand ! ;-)
razzledazzle295 6 days ago
If I ever understand this, I may never listen to another vinyl again.
kinich79 6 days ago
To us adults, and perhaps to a child past fifth grade or at least in Middle School: dad’s referring to what the teacher was talking about in Physics class. To a six year old First Grade Student, and particularly in Kalvin’s case: Did Dad just mention a revolution! (please add as backdrop music Revolution by The Beatles).
goboboyd 6 days ago
And it doesn’t affect the sound. Hmmm.
AndrewSihler 6 days ago
The concept of the radian might be helpful, here.
willie_mctell 6 days ago
Angular velocity and the other kind.
John Jorgensen 6 days ago
It is pretty astonishing.
SpammersAreScum 6 days ago
And the same thing applies to us! Someone standing at the Equator travels further than someone further north (or south) to complete the same 24 hour rotation.
eric.franz.petras 6 days ago
This has always been one of my favorite C&H cartoons.
daking27 6 days ago
This is why streaming services have replaced records and discs.
Bilan 6 days ago
If Dad told that to a robot on Star Trek, it would say “Norman, coordinate. All units relate.”
CleverHans Premium Member 6 days ago
Back around the turn of the century, we were visiting friends when their teenage son showed up with a friend carrying an old portable record player and a couple of LPs that they’d found at a second-hand shop. They were fascinated. We could hear them playing the records at different speeds and basically doing all the things we had done as little kids with phonographs.
I really feel sorry for the kids I teach these days. They grew up in a magical world, and most of them don’t have the faintest idea how any of it works. When we build some gadget and one of them wants to take it to the next level, I know there is some hope for that kid. Sadly, the majority seem content to live in ignorant bliss concerning the workings of their magical world. Sometimes the phrase “twilight of the gods” comes to mind…
Otis Rufus Driftwood 6 days ago
For once Dad tells Calvin something that isn’t ridiculous.
Ukko wilko 5 days ago
Ah yes, a “Jimmy cracked corn” moment.
The Old Wolf 5 days ago
Ever sit on one of those spinning platters at the Fun House? You learn about relative velocities real fast when you’re flung off at the speed of sound.
alkabelis Premium Member 5 days ago
It’s called surface speed. In the US it’s measured in surface feet per minute or sfm most of the rest of the world surface meters per minute or smm. Highly important in the metal cutting industry.