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Students Toss Objects from Exley’s Roof during Big Drop

Olivia DrakeMay 10, 20163min
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In 1589, Galileo dropped balls of various sizes from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to demonstrate that they all hit the ground at the same time. On May 4, Wesleyan students repeated this experiment in modern-day way at Exley Science Center. Several Wesleyan students, staff and faculty observed the “big drop.”
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Hanna Elszasz ’18 and Bill Nelligan, director of environmental services, dropped objects from the roof of Exley Science Center. In this test, the group used a Mac and PC.

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The event was emceed by Emma Freeman ’19 and was hosted by the Wesleyan Mathematics and Science Scholars (WesMass) and the Free Radicals.
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Computers used in the experiment were slated for disposal and the drop system was designed for safety and was OSHA compliant. As expected, the Mac and PC reached the ground approximately at the same time.
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The Free Radicals, a group of students composed of junior and senior chemistry majors, hosted an array of experiments during The Big Drop. (Photos by Will Barr ’18)

Watch a short video on The Big Drop below:


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