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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Could an overloaded curtain rail cause a picture to leap off the wall?
« on: 19/05/2017 23:28:09 »
I have a mundane energy transference question. If it's too mundane for the group, please delete or ignore as appropriate. Otherwise, my husband and I would like some assistance vetting what we believe to be a case of unexpected energy transference through the walls in our home.
Observation: My husband and I heard a loud boom in our livingroom. The dramatic sound suggested my 7ft, wooden bookcase had toppled into my wooden desk. On inspection, we discovered nothing to be the case. Instead, we found a framed picture in an unexpected location in the home. The picture is framed in wood, 1'X1' and about 3 lbs in weight. It was hung about 5'2" off the ground by a tack. It's current location suggested it was thrown at a 45 degree angle roughly 9ft across the room. The trajectory entailed that it was initially thrown somewhat upward (at least 2 inches or so) to clear a tall object that was poised in front of it. Roughly four hours later, a wooden clothing rod in abutting room crashed to the floor undeniably due to the weight of the clothes hung on it.
Theory: The curtain rod resides in a room that shares the entirety of a 10' L by 7' H, load-bearing wall with the living room. This wall is is covered with cheap paneling. The curtain rod resides in 3'7" space where a doorway once resided. It has since been covered over with a slim piece of panelling, thereby creating a closet. The opposite side of this piece of paneling is where the aforementioned picture hung. That said, the wooden rod is 1 inch think and had roughly 50 items of clothing on it including heavy coats. We suspect that tension created by the wooden rod buiilt up over the course of the day and transferred through the wall and precipitated the picture going flying. Then, of course, the rod gave way itself.
Contraindications: We can't account for the incredible noise. We can't assess why another picture (identical in dimensions) hung an inch above the first one remained in place. We can't ascertain why the rod the fell before without such a dramatic outcome. And, we wonder if transference--if possible--would cause such an incredible trajectory.
Finally, any commentary is appreciated. We are engrossed in solving the problem, as we are concerned that something like a hidden roof truss failure contributed to the phenomenon. Thanks!
Observation: My husband and I heard a loud boom in our livingroom. The dramatic sound suggested my 7ft, wooden bookcase had toppled into my wooden desk. On inspection, we discovered nothing to be the case. Instead, we found a framed picture in an unexpected location in the home. The picture is framed in wood, 1'X1' and about 3 lbs in weight. It was hung about 5'2" off the ground by a tack. It's current location suggested it was thrown at a 45 degree angle roughly 9ft across the room. The trajectory entailed that it was initially thrown somewhat upward (at least 2 inches or so) to clear a tall object that was poised in front of it. Roughly four hours later, a wooden clothing rod in abutting room crashed to the floor undeniably due to the weight of the clothes hung on it.
Theory: The curtain rod resides in a room that shares the entirety of a 10' L by 7' H, load-bearing wall with the living room. This wall is is covered with cheap paneling. The curtain rod resides in 3'7" space where a doorway once resided. It has since been covered over with a slim piece of panelling, thereby creating a closet. The opposite side of this piece of paneling is where the aforementioned picture hung. That said, the wooden rod is 1 inch think and had roughly 50 items of clothing on it including heavy coats. We suspect that tension created by the wooden rod buiilt up over the course of the day and transferred through the wall and precipitated the picture going flying. Then, of course, the rod gave way itself.
Contraindications: We can't account for the incredible noise. We can't assess why another picture (identical in dimensions) hung an inch above the first one remained in place. We can't ascertain why the rod the fell before without such a dramatic outcome. And, we wonder if transference--if possible--would cause such an incredible trajectory.
Finally, any commentary is appreciated. We are engrossed in solving the problem, as we are concerned that something like a hidden roof truss failure contributed to the phenomenon. Thanks!