Book 14, Question 60
Why Does Snapping Your Fingers Make a Snap?
A finger snap is a fast, tiny slam that makes a crisp sound! Your middle finger slips off your thumb and hits the base of your thumb. That hit makes the snap.
More fun facts
- A finger snap works like a latch, storing energy as you squeeze your middle finger and thumb.
- When the finger slips off the thumb, it hits your palm about seven milliseconds later.
- The middle finger can rotate up to 7.8 degrees per millisecond.
- A snapping finger speeds up almost three times as fast as a pitcher's arm.
- Scientists studied finger snaps using high speed video.
Sources: Science News Explores, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American
Questions kids ask
How fast is a finger snap?
The finger hits your palm about seven milliseconds after slipping off your thumb.