Have some physical science fun when studying the center of gravity or center of mass. Simply have balancing artists stand a dowel on one finger and keep it from falling over! A lump of clay is added and moved up along the dowel over a series of trials so that they alter the center of gravity and feel how different the motion is to keep the stick up. 

Concepts

center of gravity, gravity, center of mass, mass, angular momentum, mechanics

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Additional Tags

center of gravity, angular momentum, center of mass, mechanics, rotational inertia, science

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Pros

• Requires few and simple materials, but makes a great impression regarding center of gravity
• Concise explanation of concepts included on webpage

Cons

• None