Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Marble Science

Friction
Have kids roll marbles on a smooth and rough surface. What surface makes the marble roll the fastest?

Sink or Float?
Collect marbles and various other objects and test buoyancy. What sinks and what floats? 

Viscosity
Now, experiment with how marbles react to fluids with a higher viscosity than water. Drop a marble in each of the following liquids: corn syrup, milk, honey, and oil. Explain that thicker liquids have a higher mass and make the marble move slower. 

"Hypothesize before you perform the experiment about which liquid will move the marble faster or slower."- via ehow and science buddies


Marble Moon Craters
Drop marbles from different heights and angles into a pan filled with flour. via the exploration station


Crackled Marbles

Bake marbles in the oven for a crackling effect.

 1. Preheat your oven to 450.

2. Bake marbles in a pan for 7 minutes

3. Then, transfer marbles to a bowl of ice water.

4. Finally, dry them off and enjoy!


Marble Graviton
Defy gravity with a marble and a glass! Will the marble fall out when the glass is flipped? 



explanation
"The inertia of the spinning marble is a "push" force.  The glass supplies another "push" force that keeps the marble moving in a "uniform circular motion."  The force of the glass is centripetal force, a force that makes a body follow a curved path. The combined forces of the spinning marble and the glass create a relative force greater than gravity." - Steve Spangler

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