Does the ballpoint pen defy physics?

[Windevoid]

Does the ballpoint pen match current theories of physics, or does it defy pressure, conservation of mass, etc. ?

 

The pen I was using does appear to eventually run out of ink, but it seemed to take way too long to run it out.

 

Maybe this is just crazy.

 

Maybe the ball point of the pen makes more ink by spinning ink?

 

[EdEarl]

Does the ballpoint pen match current theories of physics, or does it defy pressure, conservation of mass, etc. ?

 

The pen I was using does appear to eventually run out of ink, but it seemed to take way too long to run it out.

 

Maybe this is just crazy.

 

Maybe the ball point of the pen makes more ink by spinning ink?

No and no.

There is nothing magic about a ball point pen. They use ink sparingly, and do take a long time to run out. You aren't crazy for making this observation. That you asked the question shows courage and curiosity. It also shows that you have not studied much science, but you can change that.

[ACG52]

The line of ink laid down by a ball point is VERY thin. It takes a long time to go through a barrel full of ink, much longer than fountain pens.

[imatfaal]

Everything in metres or metres^3

 

 

Ink Reserve

radius 0.00125

length 0.12

volume= Pi * r^2 * L

5.9E-007

 

Line width 0.0004

length 3000

depth ?

 

volume line= W*D*L

volume line = Ink Reserve = 5.9E-007

 

depth =volume/(W*L) = 5E-007 metres

 

so depth of ink on a page - using my favourite yellow bic biro and massive approximations - is about 0.5 micrometres. Agree with ACG - that is very thin. And agree with Windevoid it is a bit crazy.

[Phi for All]

The pen I was using does appear to eventually run out of ink, but it seemed to take way too long to run it out.

 

 

Maybe this is just crazy.

 

Well, yeah! Why would you want a pen to run out of ink more quickly? I love it when a favorite pen seems to last forever.

 

I'm glad pen manufacturer's aren't emulating the computer printer manufacturers. Then the ink would cost a fortune and run out quickly.

 

The line of ink laid down by a ball point is VERY thin. It takes a long time to go through a barrel full of ink, much longer than fountain pens.

 

When I buy a really great pen, I always buy some extra refills. Trouble is, by the time the original barrel runs out, I forget where I stored the refills.

[imatfaal]

....

When I buy a really great pen, I always buy some extra refills. Trouble is, by the time the original barrel runs out, I forget where I stored the refills.

 

Age is a terrible thing. I find myself thinking about where to store the refills (etc) such that I won't forget when the time comes and I need them, I finally decide on the logical and memorable place, and when I go to place them in that most sensible of places I find the last set of refills that I had thought were lost; sometimes two sets!

[zapatos]

My dad taught me to not buy something until I needed it. If you buy the extra set of refills you are just as likely to lose the pen or find a better one, and not need the refills anymore.

I never took his advice.

My house is filled with items in their original packaging that I have no way to use.

[ACG52]

NASA spent 2 million dollars designing a pen which would write in zero g.

 

The Russians used a pencil.

 

(Funny story, even though it isn't true.)

[Ophiolite]

Does the ballpoint pen defy physics? I suggest it confirms an aspect of physics that some researchers have speculated on for some time.

 

It is commonplace for people to lose pens. They are placed down, somwhere, anywhere, but when we return to look for them they cannot be found. Now the typical ballpoint pen has a similar mass to a sock, and we all know that one sock of a pair is often lost. My hypothesis is that small black holes, left over from the Big Bang are preferentially absorbing socks and pens and this disappearance of pens is direct evidence of this effect.

 

Go on. Prove me wrong! (Or write to me, if you can find a pen.)

[Phi for All]

Does the ballpoint pen defy physics? I suggest it confirms an aspect of physics that some researchers have speculated on for some time.

 

It is commonplace for people to lose pens. They are placed down, somwhere, anywhere, but when we return to look for them they cannot be found. Now the typical ballpoint pen has a similar mass to a sock, and we all know that one sock of a pair is often lost. My hypothesis is that small black holes, left over from the Big Bang are preferentially absorbing socks and pens and this disappearance of pens is direct evidence of this effect.

 

Go on. Prove me wrong! (Or write to me, if you can find a pen.)

 

Well, I can't find a pen. However, I'm using my car, which is filthy because I bought a car wash last time I filled up with petrol, but the line at the car wash was too long. Now that there's no line at the car wash, I can't find the gas receipt with the car wash code on it. I'm writing in the dirt with an old single sock I found.

 

For the small black hole hypothesis to work, there must be something intrinsic to both socks and pens that causes them to be preferentially absorbed. They share no common materials. They serve completely different functions. But a pen and a sock are both appendage-oriented, so what if the key lies in their placement? What would happen if you put socks on your hands? Or wrote with a ballpoint pen gripped in your toes? Perhaps an alien living in the black hole is trying to stop us from discovering the ultimate power source, using a ballpoint pen with socks on your hands!

[EdEarl]

My hypothesis is that small black holes, left over from the Big Bang are preferentially absorbing socks and pens and this disappearance of pens is direct evidence of this effect.

I shall stop using ball point pens and wearing socks...want no black holes near my appendages.

[Phi for All]

I shall stop using ball point pens and wearing socks...want no black holes near my appendages.

 

I, on the other hand(foot), want to test this idea, so I'm going out to buy more pens and socks. Now where did I put my sunglasses?

[J.C.MacSwell]

Does the ballpoint pen defy physics? I suggest it confirms an aspect of physics that some researchers have speculated on for some time.

 

It is commonplace for people to lose pens. They are placed down, somwhere, anywhere, but when we return to look for them they cannot be found. Now the typical ballpoint pen has a similar mass to a sock, and we all know that one sock of a pair is often lost. My hypothesis is that small black holes, left over from the Big Bang are preferentially absorbing socks and pens and this disappearance of pens is direct evidence of this effect.

 

Go on. Prove me wrong! (Or write to me, if you can find a pen.)

I heard something along those lines about 35 years ago...included in the theory was that they came back as dust balls under your couch

[Delta1212]

 

I heard something along those lines about 35 years ago...included in the theory was that they came back as dust balls under your couch

Perhaps the pens are being converted into socks which then, of course, don't have mates.

[zapatos]

It seems the socks and the pens may be meeting up for clandestine liaisons!

 

 

"Ever wish you could take your favorite pen and use it for both a pen and a stylus, without having to spend an arm and a leg? Well, now you can with The Fylus Pen Sock. Simply slip The Fylus Pen Sock over the end of your pen and instantly turn your pen into a stylus. It really is that simple!"

[Delta1212]

It seems the socks and the pens may be meeting up for clandestine liaisons!

 

pensock.jpg

 

"Ever wish you could take your favorite pen and use it for both a pen and a stylus, without having to spend an arm and a leg? Well, now you can with The Fylus Pen Sock. Simply slip The Fylus Pen Sock over the end of your pen and instantly turn your pen into a stylus. It really is that simple!"

The next obvious question: Pen socks don't have mates. When you put them in the dryer, do they disappear entirely or does a mate appear from nowhere?

[Phi for All]

It seems the socks and the pens may be meeting up for clandestine liaisons!

 

pensock.jpg

 

"Ever wish you could take your favorite pen and use it for both a pen and a stylus, without having to spend an arm and a leg? Well, now you can with The Fylus Pen Sock. Simply slip The Fylus Pen Sock over the end of your pen and instantly turn your pen into a stylus. It really is that simple!"

 

Oh, those are great, I bought a four-pack recently. Loved them! Lost them all within two days.