Last summer, I had the most awesome opportunity to attend the Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teacher's Academy in Jersey City, New Jersey. Our very first experiment at the academy was the experiment we did in class today and I loved every minute of it! We started just as the students did, completing the mini experiments first and then applying what we learned from the smaller experiments to the "bigger picture".
The goal is to get an egg into a glass of water with only a broom. The obstacle is the pizza pan and toilet paper holder that is holding the egg above the cup! Sounds impossible, doesn't it? One of the coolest things was being able to test out any "wonderings" we had about what other things would work with the experiment. Let me just say, that we tested the egg drop with three cups and three eggs and it worked!
This experiment is used to discuss Newton's First Law of Motion dealing with inertia, stating that an object at rest will remain at rest and an object at motion will remain in motion, unless acted upon by an outside force. To hear a kid recite that and really know what it means, is like music to my ears! Here are some video clips and snap shots from our science experiments on motion and force- enjoy!