Experiment #1: Gravity Free Water
Materials:
With no air inside the glass, the air pressure from outside the glass is greater than the pressure of the water inside the glass. The extra air pressure manages to hold the cardboard in place, keeping you dry and your water where it should be, inside the glass.
Experiment #2: Centripetal Force Experiment
Materials:
Experiment #3: Friction and Vibration
Materials:
Experiment #4: Gyroscope using bicycle wheel
Complex Version
Materials:
1. Lay the bicycle wheel on it's side on a flat surface with the axles pointing upwards. As a safety precaution, it's recommended to put plastic spoke guards on the bicycle wheel's hubs. Then, remove the outer nuts on the bicycle wheel's axles to allow enough room for the plastic screw-on handles. Proceed to screw one of the plastic handles onto the bicycle wheel's axle.
2. Secure the remaining plastic screw-on handle in a vice with the flat side pointing down, and tighten to ensure the handle does not come loose. Using a drill with a drill bit of the proper size, begin to drill a hole vertically into the top of the handle a third of the way in. Screw an eye bolt into the newly drilled hole. Screw the plastic handle into the remaining bicycle wheel's axle.
3. Locate a wide open area with as little obstructions as possible. This area needs to be at least ten feet in diameter and needs to be completely flat. Locate the direct center of this area; this is where you will placing the rotating stool. Firmly plant all four legs of the stool in the center of the area so the seat doesn't shake at all when sat on.
4. Seat a volunteer in a rotating stool. Make sure their feet are planted firmly on the ground and they are sitting up straight. Have the seated person hold the wheel with their arms completely outstretched. An assistant will now begin to spin the wheel as fast as they possibly can. After the wheel is spinning as quickly as possible, the seated person lifts up their feet while holding their arms straight out. Tilt the top of the wheel to the left and the rotating stool will begin to rotate to the left. If you were to tilt the top of the wheel to the right, the stool will begin to rotate right.
Simple Version (younger age group)
Materials:
Materials:
- A glass filled right to the top with water
- A piece of cardboard
- Put the cardboard over the mouth of the glass, making sure that no air bubbles enter the glass as you hold onto the cardboard.
- Turn the glass upside down (over a sink or outside until you’ve had enough practice).
- Take away your hand holding the cardboard.
With no air inside the glass, the air pressure from outside the glass is greater than the pressure of the water inside the glass. The extra air pressure manages to hold the cardboard in place, keeping you dry and your water where it should be, inside the glass.
Experiment #2: Centripetal Force Experiment
Materials:
- Clear Balloons
- Pennies
- Squeeze a penny through the mouth of a clear balloon. Make sure that the penny goes all the way into the balloon so that there is no danger of it being sucked out while blowing up the balloon.
- Blow up the balloon. When properly inflated, the balloon will be almost clear in the middle and cloudy at the area near the neck and at the end opposite the neck. The cloudiness at the ends is un-stretched latex, which provides stress relief. If the balloon is completely clear all over, it is overinflated.
- Tie off the balloon and you’re ready to go.
- Grip the balloon at the stem end as you would a bowling ball. The neck of the balloon will be in your palm and your fingers and thumb will extend down the sides of the balloon.
- While holding the balloon palm down, swirl it in a circular motion. The penny may bounce around at first, but it will soon begin to roll around the inside of the balloon. The best orbit or path for the coin is one parallel to the floor.
- Once the coin begins spinning, use your other hand to stabilize the balloon. Your penny should continue to spin for 30 seconds or more.
Experiment #3: Friction and Vibration
Materials:
- Dishwashing liquid (any variant)
- Large pan
- Vinegar
- Water
- Thin glassware
- Small shallow bowl
- Pour a generous amount of the dishwashing liquid to make a soapy water solution in a large pan.
- Wash the glass and your hands in the soapy solution and rinse thoroughly.
- Place the glass on the table.
- Rub the glass. Notice how it feels.
- In a small bowl, pour just enough vinegar where you can dip your finger.
- Hold the base of the glass against the table with your left hand.
- Wet the index finger of your right hand with vinegar.
- Using your wet index finger, gently rub it around the rim of the glass.
- Notice what happens the second time around.
Experiment #4: Gyroscope using bicycle wheel
Complex Version
Materials:
- Bicycle wheel
- Plastic spoke guards
- Plastic screw-on handles
- Vice
- Drill
- Drill bit
- Eye bolt
- Rotating stool
- A volunteer
1. Lay the bicycle wheel on it's side on a flat surface with the axles pointing upwards. As a safety precaution, it's recommended to put plastic spoke guards on the bicycle wheel's hubs. Then, remove the outer nuts on the bicycle wheel's axles to allow enough room for the plastic screw-on handles. Proceed to screw one of the plastic handles onto the bicycle wheel's axle.
2. Secure the remaining plastic screw-on handle in a vice with the flat side pointing down, and tighten to ensure the handle does not come loose. Using a drill with a drill bit of the proper size, begin to drill a hole vertically into the top of the handle a third of the way in. Screw an eye bolt into the newly drilled hole. Screw the plastic handle into the remaining bicycle wheel's axle.
3. Locate a wide open area with as little obstructions as possible. This area needs to be at least ten feet in diameter and needs to be completely flat. Locate the direct center of this area; this is where you will placing the rotating stool. Firmly plant all four legs of the stool in the center of the area so the seat doesn't shake at all when sat on.
4. Seat a volunteer in a rotating stool. Make sure their feet are planted firmly on the ground and they are sitting up straight. Have the seated person hold the wheel with their arms completely outstretched. An assistant will now begin to spin the wheel as fast as they possibly can. After the wheel is spinning as quickly as possible, the seated person lifts up their feet while holding their arms straight out. Tilt the top of the wheel to the left and the rotating stool will begin to rotate to the left. If you were to tilt the top of the wheel to the right, the stool will begin to rotate right.
Simple Version (younger age group)
Materials:
- A bicycle wheel(Cheap or free from a thrift shop, a bike store, or your friends.)
- 2 handles (Plastic handles from a hardware store work perfectly and are cheap. Get the kind of handle that is designed to screw onto a file.)
- A low friction rotating stool or platform. (Typing or computer chairs often work well.)
- Optional: Eyebolt; drill; chain or rope suspended from a large stand or a ceiling; spoke guards.
- Screw the handles onto each side of the wheel's axle. You may have to remove the outer nuts to clear enough axle for the handles. You may want to put plastic spoke guards on the hubs first to protect your fingers from the spinning wheel.
- If you have the eyebolt, drill a hole in the end of one handle for it. Mount the screw eye in the hole.