Experiments with Forces and Motion

As many of you know, the Hayden Library isn't open on holidays, so I wasn't able to post a Program Idea this Monday, which happened to be Memorial Day. But, I figured I'd give you one today, and move our Book Blurt to tomorrow.

Our Ka-Boom: Science Experiments program this month was about Forces and Motion, and it was pretty awesome!

When I look for science experiments, Steven Spangler's website is the first place I look, and this month was no exception :)

Do Not Open-Soda Prank

While this would be hillarious to actually try as a prank, it also works as a science experiment. If you poke holes in a soda bottle and then screw the lid back on, the water doesn't come out. Why?

Egg Drop

While Spangler calls for a pie dish and some eggs, I just use a paper plate and a juggling ball (doesn't make as much of a mess). But either way, this is a fun experiment that teaches kids about the law of inertia.

Hammer Balance

So one problem with remembering experiments instead of where you got them is that you can do the experiment again, but you can't point people to where you got it from. But luckily, this experiment isn't too hard to do. Basically, you put a ruler half on and half off a table, make a loop out of a string, and balance a hammer against the ruler. The top picture is what it looks like.

When you ask the kids if you can balance a hammer with a ruler, they don't think its possible, but they think its pretty cool when you can. They also like trying to see how far they can get the ruler off of the table before everything falls apart.

Magic Pendulum Catch

This may seem super simple, but it is currently my favorite experiment. If you have one hex nut on one side of a string, and fifteen hex nuts on the other, what does is create?

Tornado in a Bottle

Most likely everyone has doen this before. But, that doesn't mean it isn't fun to do it again hehe.