ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Surely the solution is to drill holes, then thread silicone-plastic
'superbounce' balls of graded sizes on a long cord attached to the ceiling.
Strong nylon monofilament would be best as it is smooth and will not cause
excessive wear or friction. Then, you not only have a great, totally
reliable demonstration, you also have a great interactive exhibit...

Promoting public engagement with science
through a contagious delight in phenomena
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[log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
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http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/ian-russell/0/636/305
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Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
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Ian Russell


-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Spence, Andrew J
Sent: 18 September 2012 18:22
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Large scale astroblaster demonstration

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
****************************************************************************
*

Hello,

We here at the Kentucky Science Center are developing a science
demonstration on the physics of falling and bouncing. The approx. 20-min
show is conducted on our 3rd floor balcony and features dropping a variety
of objects through our 40-ft atrium. For one of the elements we're
attempting to show the transfer of energy and the Law of Conservation of
Momentum by launching a small ball on top of a basketball. In our many
trials we've only been able to perfectly align the balls once and have a
small ball zoom past us to hit the ceiling of the building. Usually the
balls will slide apart during the fall and either fail to make contact or
launch at unpredictable angles.

Any suggestions out there for making our own astroblasters? The set of four
balls on the plastic stick commonly seen in science supply catalogs is too
small for our demonstration. This doesn't even need to be a row of four
balls-two that can stay aligned and illustrate these principles would be
great.

Thanks,

Andrew

Andrew Spence
Visitor Experience Coordinator
Kentucky Science Center
Telephone: (502) 561-6100 ext. 6112
Email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
http://www.facebook.com/KentuckyScienceCenter<http://www.facebook.com/Louisv
illeScienceCenter>
http://www.twitter.com/KYscience<http://www.twitter.com/LouScience> /
@KYscience


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