Will you be able to find the centers of gravity of different objects to gain balance?
Phase 1. Material
- Various objects (for example: ruler, popsicle stick, pencil, brush, stick, spoon)
- Blue tac or tape
Phase 2 Activity
The activity can be done outdoors or indoors. Children can choose different objects, or the instructor can have ready.
Each person gets to choose an item.
- Observe how the object looks, where there may be a point where the object balances on your finger or palm.
- You can mark the place with tape or blue tac.
- You can place the object on a finger or try to balance on the palm of your hand. Where does the object need to be to keep it balanced on your hand and not fall off?
Was your guess correct or not?
You can try each object in turn to find the balance point. Once you have marked the correct balance point on each object, you can look at it, if the marks are in the same place on all the objects. Are the objects different and why are the markings in different places? Let the children come up with answers and finally tell them about the emphasis.
Phase 3: Why
It’s about the center of gravity. The center of gravity varies depending on the shape of the object. For example, a spoon has one end that is heavier than the other, so the center of gravity is closer to the tip of the spoon, while an ice cream stick has a center of gravity in the middle of the ice cream stick.
Activity found from Steam Turku
