A turntable large enough for a course of miniature golf is kept spinning. It is so shaped that the direction of the resultant of the forces of gravity and inertia (the centrifugal force) is perpendicular to its surface everywhere. It would thus have the shape of a parabola of revolution, and a ball will remain at rest anywhere on it.

A game of miniature golf is played on a course set out on this turntable.
-- neelandan, Apr 16 2003

Putting Challenge http://www.interact...n=Putting+Challenge
This idea reminded me of a putting machine I played in a bar a decade ago. Haven't seen one since. [dbsousa, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

At rest until you hit it. Then the ball would be subject to a Coriolis force, making for an interesting game of putt-putt. +
-- pluterday, Apr 16 2003


+ Any idea of what the dimensions and curvature of this disk would be? Without doing any calculations, I'm just wondering about the tangential velocity and angle at the outer edge. I suppose it could be fairly flat and slow but you'd lose the effect that I think you were going for. Players might have to be introduced in to the course somewhere near the center.

(later) I guess everyone could get on before it starts spinning. Never mind.
-- half, Apr 16 2003


I like the idea of taking a running leap….and landing in a world with different physical properties. Near the center, for instance, gravity would behave normally, but towards the rim, gravity would appear to increase. Running directly towards the center from the rim would be difficult, as there would be a sideways force at work, throwing you off course…
-- pluterday, Apr 16 2003


This would be a nice demonstration of coriolis force at work. I'm sure there will be plenty of field trip traffic from local schools. Croissant.
-- Freefall, Apr 16 2003


Jumping would be fun.
-- -lines-, Apr 16 2003


The rotating disc's surface would be a paraboloid, as the original entry says. There's a telescope somewhere that uses a big bowl full of mercury on a turntable as the primary mirror--they can only look straight up, but they deal with that somehow. Put some puddles on the course, mount a bright light at the focus and have a built-in searchlight for advertising.

Depending on the disc's size and how much you have to lean, your head will be closer to the axis than your feet are. Will you have to stand in a curve?

I'd like to try it--some of the ball-paths could be curved.

A big curvy Croissant.
-- baconbrain, Jul 17 2004



random, halfbakery