Rope (or thread) has a tendency to get tangled. Sometimes it can take a long time to untangle it. As a result, many frustrations can arise. There are no fewer than a hundred knots that can develop spontaneously. Despite this high number, they are mostly buttons of a specific kind. They are known as so-called ‘prime knots’. What can increase the chance of knots forming? What precautions are taken so that this can be avoided?
The formation of knots
- The emergence of a knot
- Nodes that arise by themselves
- Various factors
- Practical solutions
The emergence of a knot
When shuffling rope, there is a good chance that the rope will get tangled. The earplugs that need to be connected to a music device can easily become tangled. Especially if it is kept in a bag. Even if it is (again) untied, knots will appear again over time. This can be frustrating or cause problems. However, it has been unclear for a long time what causes knots. These often seem to arise completely spontaneously.
Knots that arise on their own
Researchers have discovered that as many as one hundred and twenty button types can be created. Most of the knots that arise spontaneously are called ‘prime knots’. These are nodes that are not a composite of other nodes. This proves that a spontaneous knot usually starts from one end.
Various factors
There are several factors that play a role in the formation of knots. For example, the size of the wire plays an important role here. In addition, the material of which the wire is made plays a role and how much the space in which it is located (for example a storage box) is moved.
Wire length
Thread length is an important factor that can determine if something is tangled. After a certain length, the chance of getting a knot increases considerably. After about a meter and a half, however, this chance is reduced again. Because of this length, small loops are less likely to develop that are movable. In addition to the wire length, the wire thickness is a factor that can be decisive.
Wire thickness
The thinner the cord, the easier it will tangle. Flexible wire (such as fishing line, for example) has an increased chance of getting caught in a knot. Wire thickness, however, is not as big a factor as wire length.
Flexibility
However, not all types of material are equally flexible. Material such as iron wire is very difficult to get into a knot. For this one must even consciously exert a fairly heavy force in the same direction. In addition to flexibility, movement plays a major role.
Movement
When wire or rope is kept in a bag, it can easily become tangled. This mainly happens when the material starts to move. In fact, the Y-shape of earplugs used for music have an increased chance of becoming entangled. When it is stored in a bag, the chance is slightly less than 50% that it will become tangled. (Assuming the wire is 139 centimeters long, about the average length of earbud wire.) A variety of precautions can be taken to keep it from tangling.
Source: Tasks, Pixabay
Practical solutions
The use of special packaging
Manufacturers ensure that cables and rope can become entangled as little as possible. They do this with the help of dense and small packaging so that as little space as possible is created. Thread is regularly attached or wound around a bobbin.
Winding wire has advantages and disadvantages
Another way to effectively wind up thread is with hooks or loops. These loops are eventually tied with, for example, iron wire to ensure that no movement can occur here. This is often used for earplugs that can be connected to a telephone or music device. However, this solution is less effective in the long run. This ensures that the cord remains bent and can even end up in a knot more often.
Manufacturers of different products often choose a specific wire length
Frequent use is made of the shortest possible wire. Sometimes people choose to make the thread just a little longer (longer than one and a half meters) so that the thread is too long to easily get tangled.
A wireless connection as a solution
In some cases, a cable is even made completely redundant by the use of Bluetooth or WiFi. However, the disadvantage is that a wireless connection is less stable. This can cause problems or the quality is less. Also, a password is often required to establish the connection.
