The Magic Coin
Imagine you are wizards and can move things without touching them! Today, you'll learn a cool trick with a coin, a piece of paper, and a glass. You'll find out how to make the coin magically fall into the glass just by pulling the paper away. It sounds like magic, but it's actually a clever science trick related to inertia.
What you'll need
- Glass
- Piece of paper
- Coin
How it works
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Place the glass on the table. Lay the piece of paper flat on top and put the coin in the middle of the paper.
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Quickly pull the paper straight out from the edge. Watch as the coin suddenly falls into the glass.
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Experiment with different speeds and see what happens!
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When you pull the paper quickly, the coin is too inertial to react immediately. It then drops into the glass, attracted by the invisible force of the Earth (gravity). Ta-da! This is how you see inertia and gravity working together to perform a great trick!
What kids learn from this
- Imagination & social connection
- Curiosity & scientific thinking
