Lesson 28 of 84 · Forces
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabCenter of Gravity and Balance
Center of Gravity and Balance.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.
Mind = Blown
🔥 A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: what happens if you double the force?
What You'll Learn
The center of gravity is the point where an object's weight is evenly balanced. An object stays steady when its center of gravity sits above its base, but it tips over once that point moves past the edge.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- rubber bands
- blocks
- spring scale
- stopwatch
- pencils
Safety First
- Do not taste any materials.
Steps
Read the introduction and identify the main idea of this lesson.
Construct a catapult from popsicle sticks and rubber bands. Launch a marshmallow from different angles and measure the distance. Find the angle that gives the longest launch.
Note any unexpected results and think about why they happened.
Share your findings with the class or a partner and discuss what you learned.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is gravity?
Where you see this in real life
This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.
For the dinner table
“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
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