Full Scale
for a detailed explanation of my full scale innovation, see my proposal.
Model
Needless to say, a 25km tall space elevator made of a material that is more science-fiction than reality is somewhat beyond my abilities to make. I have settled on a popular and well understood model, frequently used in physics classes, that demonstrated the idea clearly. My model consists of a PVC pipe (schedule 40) with an inner diameter o 1 1/2 inches, secured with a wooden base and attached to a vacuum pump. A table tennis ball with a diameter of 40mm is inserted into the pipe and pushed to the far end. then packing tape is applied to both ends to create a closed system. The air is removed from the tube via the vacuum pump and the packing tape on the back end (near the ball) is popped. The air rushing into the pipe pushes the ball down the tube and by the time it reaches the far end it is traveling fast enough to punch through the packing tape there and exit the barrel.
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