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Experiment 1: Defying Gravity with Magnets

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Experiment 1: Defying Gravity with Magnets

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Materials:
Stick, string, paperclips, scissors, tape, strong magnets, metal ruler/wooden ruler with tape, blocks/books or other materials for stacking

Procedure:
1. Start by tying some paperclips to pieces of string. Then tie the string onto a small stick.
2. Lift up the dowel rod so the paperclips hang from the string.

Which direction do the paperclips point?

What happens if you tilt the stick?

3. Place three magnets along a metal ruler. (If you’re using a wooden ruler, you can tape the magnets to the top)
4. Suspend the ruler from two stacks of blocks, books, or other materials. Be sure the magnets are facing down.
5. Take the paper clips and string off your stick.

6. Take one paperclip and hold it until it’s just suspended below the first magnet. Tape the string in place onto the table (or whatever surface your activity is on). Do this with the other two paperclips.

7. After taping the strings in place below the magnets, remove the ruler and observe what happens. All the paperclips fall to the ground!
8. Put the ruler with magnets back above the paperclips. Slowly lift each paperclip toward each magnet until they are all suspended.

Important: Not only are small magnets choking hazards, but magnet ingestions pose a serious threat to the health of children. NEVER leave any child unattended with magnets. Never allow any child under 3 to use magnets.

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Experiment 2: Watch objects in Free Fall

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Experiment 2: Watch objects in Free Fall

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Materials:
- Two balls of the same size, but different mass. For example, you could use a metal and a rubber ball or a wooden and a plastic ball, as long as the two balls are about the same size.
- A ladder or step stool
-  A video camera and a helper (optional)

Preparation
• You will be dropping the two balls from the same height, at the same time. Set up the ladder or step stool where you will do your test. If you are using a heavy ball, be sure to find a testing area where the ball will not hurt the floor or ground when it lands.
• If you are using a video camera to record the experiment, set up the camera now and have your helper get ready to record.
• Be careful when using the step stool or ladder.

Procedure
• Carefully climb the ladder or step stool with the two balls.
• Drop both balls at the same time, from the same height. If you are using a video camera, be sure to have your helper record the balls falling and hitting the ground.
• Did one ball hit the ground before the other or did both balls hit the ground at the same time?
• Repeat the experiment at least two more times. Are your results consistent? Did one ball consistently hit the ground before the other or did both balls always hit the ground at the same time?
• If you videotaped your experiments, you can watch the recordings to verify your results.
• Can you explain your results?
• Extra: Try this experiment again but this time use balls that have the same mass but are different sizes. Does one ball hit the ground before the other or do they hit it at the same time?
• Extra: Try testing two objects that have the same mass, but are different shapes. For example, you could try a large feather and a very small ball. Does one object hit the ground before the other or do they hit it at the same time?

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Experiment 3: What is Center of Gravity?

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Experiment 3: What is Center of Gravity?

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Materials:
a craft stick, a chopstick, pipe cleaner and 2 cloth pins

Procedure:
1. Center the pipe cleaner near one end of the craft stick.
2. Wrap the pipe cleaner tightly around the craft stick twice on each side.
3. Clip a cloths pin on the end of the pipe cleaner.
4. Clip the other cloths pin on the other end of the pipe cleaner.
4. Carefully balance the end of the craft stick on the chopstick. Adjust the pipe cleaner’s position on both sides to achieve balance.
6. Now that you’ve succeeded in balancing a craft stick, you can substitute the pipe cleaner and the cloths pins with other materials to see the differences. You can even substitute the craft stick with a pencil or other types of sticks.

How it works:
1. This trick works because we changed the craft stick’s center of gravity.
2. Center of gravity is the average location of the weight of an object.
3. For a craft stick, it is located in the center (the black X).
4. When the center of gravity of an object is approximately in line with the base of support (i.e. near the vertical line), the object does not fall.
5. It is hard to balance a craft stick by itself because its center of gravity is high up above the point of support.
6. Even a small tilt can move it far away from the vertical line, causing the stick to topple.
7. When a pipe cleaner and the cloths pins are added, the center of gravity is lowered to near the base of support (the blue X).
8. Tilting the stick slightly does not move it too far away from the vertical line. So this new configuration is more stable.

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Experiment 4: Anti-Gravity Galaxy in a bottle

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Experiment 4: Anti-Gravity Galaxy in a bottle

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Materials:

Plastic Water Bottle

Baby Oil

Water

Purple and Blue Liquid Food Colouring

Silver Glitter

Procedure:

1. Remove the label from the water bottle. Goo Gone will help get rid of any residue that's left.

2. Fill the bottle half full with baby oil.

3. Add silver glitter on top of the baby oil (About ½ teaspoon of glitter)

4. Add enough water to a measuring cup to fill the rest of the bottle, then add approximately 8 drops of purple food colouring and 5 drops of blue food colouring. The more food colouring you add, the more opaque your galaxy will be.

5. Mix the water and pour it into the bottle, leaving about ¾" of air space in the mouth section of the bottle.

6. Screw the lid back onto the bottle. You can seal it closed with tape or glue if you like.

7. Shake the bottle vigorously and watch the glitter move up as it settles!

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Experiment 5: Anti-Gravity Water Experiment

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Experiment 5: Anti-Gravity Water Experiment

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Materials:
Cardboard, glass, water

Procedure:
1. Fill your glass to the top with water.
2. Place a piece of cardboard over the top and hold firmly.
3. Tilt your glass over, holding the cardboard firmly in place. Then, let go of cardboard!
4. The kids will be amazed that the water did not flow out!

Note: We did this over our kitchen sink to catch any water flow "just in case". I would advise doing it in a place you don't mind getting wet. When working with kids you always have to be prepared for the worst, right?