#WHEN WAS THE PLUMB BOB INVENTED SERIES#

Military officials were also concerned with radiation contamination and fallout from an accidental detonation of a nuclear weapon. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines participated in exercises Desert Rock VII and VIII, a joint field operation which involved the largest troop maneuver associated with U.S. In another test, pigs were placed in pens behind large panels of glass at various distances from the epicenter of the nuclear detonation to examine the effects of flying debris on living targets.Īnother objective during Operation Plumbbob was to understand how the average foot-solder would perform, physically and psychologically, under the rigors of a tactical nuclear battlefield. While most of the pigs survived, many suffered third-degree burns to 80% of their bodies. During one test, pigs were placed in cages and provided with suits made of different materials to test which materials provided best protection from the thermal pulse generated by the nuclear blast. To study these effects, over 1,200 pigs were subjected to bio-medical experiments and blast-effects studies during Operation Plumbbob. Scientists were also concerned with the effects of radiation on biological life. During one test, a large blimp was subjected to the shock-wave from the nuclear detonation it collapsed within seconds. The military also wanted to understand nuclear blast effects on civil and military structures as well as various aircraft. While most of the shots conducted during Plumbbob were intended to test design principles for nuclear warheads that would be mounted on intercontinental and intermediate range missiles, warheads with smaller yields were also tested to develop and improve air defense and anti-submarine weapon systems. There were several objectives during Operation Plumbbob, including improving tactical weapon design, conducting bio-medical experiments, safety testing, and component and design testing for thermonuclear systems to be detonated in future operations.

#WHEN WAS THE PLUMB BOB INVENTED SERIES#

It was one of the longest and most comprehensive test series in the continental United States, and became controversial after much of the operation was declassified. military between May 28 and October 7, 1957, at the Nevada Test Site. This plumb line is important for lining up anatomical geometries and visualizing the subject's center of balance.Operation Plumbbob was a series of 29 nuclear tests conducted by the U.S. The device used may be purpose-made plumb lines, or simply makeshift devices made from a piece of string and a weighted object, such as a metal washer. Students of figure drawing will also make use of a plumb line to find the vertical axis through the center of gravity of their subject and lay it down on paper as a point of reference. Ī plumb bob may be in a container of water (when conditions are above freezing temperatures), molasses, very viscous oils or other liquids to dampen any swinging movement, functioning as a shock absorber.ĭetermining center of gravity of an irregular shape The early skyscrapers used heavy plumb bobs, hung on wire in their elevator shafts.

A variation of this tool has the plumb line hung from the top of an inverted T shape. An A-frame level with a plumb line hung from the vertex was also used to find horizontal these were used in Europe until the mid–19th century.

However, if they are mounted on a suitable scale the instrument may also be used as an inclinometer to measure angles to the vertical.Īncient Egyptians used a plumb line attached to the top outer part of a tool resembling a letter E when placed against a wall, the plumb line would indicate a vertical line. A plumb bob and line alone can determine only a vertical reference.

When was the plumb bob invented