PIRA 1Q10.10
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Materials required for this demonstration consist of
a large ball of clay and a long dowel. The dowel should
be pushed into the ball of clay such that the clay can be
moved along the length of the dowel. Moving the clay
along the dowel will change the location of the center of
mass. With the clay at one end of the dowel, ask the students which way it will be easier to balance: with the clay close to one's hand or far away. Then get a student to attempt to balance it with the clay close to his or her hand. The student will likely have difficulty balancing it this way. |
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Next, have the student try to balance the stick with the clay far away from his or her hand. The student should find this much easier. When the clay is far away from the students hand, the dowel will tip much slower due to the larger rotational inertia about the pivot point, allowing the student to regain balance more easily. |