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*Re: Center of Gravity

Here's something we've done many times. You need a colored (or plain)
popsicle stick, about 14-16 inches of not too thin wire (floral wire would
do, 18-22 gauge)), 2-4 pennies or flat glass marbles or washers. Find the
middle of the lenght of wire. Securely glue, staple or tape it to or around
the bottom part of the popsicle stick. Bend little hooks out of the ends of
the wire and hotglue two pennies each to each loop, sandwiching the wire
loops between the pennies. You can also hotglue the glass marbles , wire on
the washers or just attach one end of the wire to the stick with one weight
at the other end.The weights will balance the popsicle stick as long as the
CoG is below the point were the wire is attached and is evenly distributed.
We've let the kids dress up the popsicle sticks in little fabric capes as
flying superheroes or sparkly paper outfits as high wire artists. Well
balanced little guys can balance on the tip of a (slightly blunt) pencil or
a child's nose. If you bend the wires forwards or backwards, the popsicle
stick will stay suspended at crazy angles!

Have fun

Trudi Plummer
Director of Education
Maine Discovery Museum
Bangor, ME
mainediscoverymuseum.org



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