Beakman’s World - Season 1 Episode 11

In response to a question about why a boat made of steel can float in water while a nail sinks, Beakman explains that, for any object to float, it has to be less dense than the liquid it is in. Using equal volumes of marshmallows and nails, Beakman shows how they behave distinctively when placed in water because of their different densities. To provide the next piece in the puzzle, Beakman uses his own body to illustrate displacement, noting that when an object which displaces an amount of water weighing less then it does, the object (such as a large steel ship) will float. Turning to "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals why woodpeckers peck (to eat); the cause of waves in the ocean (wind, earthquakes, landslides) and the most common name in the world (Muhammad). After stuffing a straw into an uncooked potato, Beakman explains that cylinders like the straw are among the strongest of all shapes. After showing how increasing the number of legs on a table make it even stronger, Beakman makes a simple cylinder from a piece of paper that is strong enough to carefully support the weight of a brick. Recalling the first flight by the Wright Brothers in 1903, Beakman shows how it is the shape of their wings, not the power of their engines, that allow airplanes to fly. Called to demonstrate the principles of flight, Balance Man notes air pressure seeking equilibrium from either side of a wing gives the lift necessary for flight. In closing, Beakman claims that the world's fastest airplane, the SR?72, reaches speeds over 4,500 miles per hour.