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Experiments Are Fun!

Blog: Norfolk Single Dad
Posted by: Eddie2sox Wednesday 12th December 2007, 7:44pm
Last edited 12/12/2007 7:44pm by Eddie2sox

Clever Old Daddy had a good idea - carry out a pseudo-scientific experiment which will help Sam learn, but dress it up as big funÂ….

We’re into zip-lines at the moment - not the things that keep your flies sealed, but the things that you slide down, screaming like an old woman (if you’re Daddy) or laughing like a hyena on nitrous oxide (if you’re Sam). We’ve set up a couple in the flat too, not for our use of course but for Sam’s toys to use. So, in the name of education, I talked Sam round to considering the following question : “What do you think would slide faster down a zip-line, something heavy or light or big or small”? Sam said big and heavy.

So we selected four objects for a scientific experiment:

Big & Light - A Fiat balloon, supplied by Fiat UK (see cardboard Ferrari stories).

Small & Light - A book of second class stamps.

Big & Heavy - A newspaper delivery box.

Small & Heavy - An apple.

We made marks at the top and bottom of the zip-line to show the start and finish points, measured the course (348 cm) and let the science begin!

First up, the newspaper box. I had to help Sam hold this one at the start line, then we let go and it rattled away……then grounded itself before the finishing line. Total distance travelled was 303 cm.

Next, the book of stamps. Sam counted down, released, and the stamps cruised smoothly downwards, crossing the finishing line in 2.22 seconds.

Third we tried the Fiat balloon. It made slow progress along the course, and also grounded itself before the finish line. Total distance 297 cm.

Last of all was the apple. It was a past-its-best Golden Delicious in case that matters…..and jerked its way down the zip-line, finally crossing the line in 15.70 seconds.

So the winner was “small & light”. Sam was a bit surprised but I think he learned something - unexpected things can happen. When I asked him what our experiment had showed he said (wisely), “Small things can be just as good as big things sometimes”. He’s right too.

For the sake of accuracy, the winning competitor achieved a speed of 3.52 miles per hour, which also surprised Sam - he thought it looked much faster.

So that was our experiment. Great fun, and slightly educational (although I bet it’s not in the national curriculum).

The pic shows our equipment - Sam is sitting in the newspaper box…..

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