At Home with the Mad Scientist: 3-6 for March 2009

Spinning Ball - Exploring Gravity

Remember: Always have an adult help you with any experiment.

Materials

1. Small rubber ball
2. Flat table top surface
3. Medium size canning jar (wide mouth) or a jar with a lip/neck (large mayonnaise jar)

Procedure

1. Place the ball on top of the table.
2. Place the jar over the ball so that the ball is inside the mouth of the canning jar.
3. Start spinning the jar around in a circular motion (keeping it on the table).
4. Once the ball starts spinning inside the jar lift it from the table top.
5. The ball is lifted from the table and will continue to spin inside the jar until it loses is speed.

What's Going On?

This works because the ball spinning inside the jar is trying to escape but the jar itself forces the ball to stay inside the wall of the jar. Due to the force of the spin or speed the ball will continue to spin until it loses its speed and gravity will pull it back to earth and the ball will fall from the jar.