Introduction

The videos in this collection show that curling rocks sliding over scratches made by other curling rocks are not deflected by these scratches.

Conclusion

In the scratch proposal, it is claimed that curling rocks curl because the back of a rock passes over scratches made by the front of the rock, and that the scratches are the reason for the rock’s lateral deflection, or curl.

Comparing the videos of the rocks before and after scratches were made on the ice shows that there is little difference if any in the curl of the rocks. Note that all scratches made are in the same direction, diagonally across the ice.

The rocks sliding over the scratches are subject to a force that is at least 8 times as much as the force on the back half of a rock due to scratches made by the front half. If scratches did affect the motion of curling rocks, then the rocks sliding AFTER scratches were made would curl at least 8 times as much as they did BEFORE the scratches were made.

This simple experiment shows that curling rocks are not affected by scratches made by other curling rocks and that the reason curling rocks curl is not due to scratches made by the front deflecting the back of the rock.

08 Scratches Made

Second Set of Scratches

Scratches were made at roughly 45 degrees, diagonally across the sheet of ice. The entire area of the sheet where rocks will move was covered by scratches. By making these scratches we doubled the number of scratches on the sheet of pebbled ice. This video shows only part of the process where scratches were made.

Posted on June 5, 2018September 28, 2023Author gpotter

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