Posted by Toby A Inkster on 02/17/07 09:28

dorayme wrote:

> The equation is not good. If the ink is in the middle of the
> plastic sleeve then there is no easy way to get it to to flow to
> the ball.

How does the ink *get* to the middle of the sleeve? Gravity? Not in space.

Pens are manufactured with the ink right up against the point. As you
start using ink, the remaining ink moves along the sleeve, not because of
gravity, but to fill in the vacuum left by the ink that you've used.

On Earth, this natural flow can be disturbed by gravity (e.g. when writing
in bed). In space, gravity is so weak that this problem does not exist.
(i.e. ballpoint pens arguably work better in space!)

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
Contact Me ~ http://tobyinkster.co.uk/contact
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