#Center of gravity challenge series

Center of Mass Challenge 1: The Thumb Press ThatвЂ™s where these challenges come into play. Finding the center of mass in an irregular object (such as the human body) takes a little more work to figure outвЂ¦ and a lot more fun. In a round/spherical object, the equally distributed mass is the center of mass for the sphere. This point could be a physical object or it could be a point outside of the object. The more mass an object has, the more gravitational force is exerted.Д¬enter of Mass is a term used by scientists to describe that point in an object where the objectвЂ™s mass or weight seems to be concentrated. All mass-from the smallest sub-atomic particle to the largest star in the universe-exerts someВ amount of gravitational force. Gravity is a term used by scientists to describe the force of gravitation given on an object or near the surface of a celestial body such as the Earth, the moon, or another terrestrial planet. Just imagine: science bringing families together, one discovery at a time! I love it! LetвЂ™s start with a quick vocabulary lesson.

The results are hilarious and unforgettable! As an added bonus, these challenges often bring my studentsвЂ™ families together as the students go home andВ challenge their siblings and parents to do them as well.

In the end, these physical experimentsВ allowВ my students to grasp the basic concepts of gravity and center of mass in a far more compelling way than theyвЂ™d ever learn from any textbook. Lift a chair? Raise your leg? Pick up a quarter? No problem! (Or so they thinkвЂ¦)

#Center of gravity challenge series

I challenge my students to perform a series of seemingly simple physical tests, described below. When I teach about gravity and center of mass, for example, I like to shake things up by turning ourВ classroom into an impromptu biokinetics lab. One of my favorite tricks is to get my kids up on their feet, doing science instead of reading about it. In my 13 years of classroom teaching experience, IвЂ™ve learned a few tricks to keep my students from becoming overwhelmed-or bored-by their science textbooks.