Inertia
Forces and Motion

Daredevil Egg

Enrichment Activity for 5-11 11-14

What you need

  • An egg
  • A glass of water
  • An empty Smarties tube
  • A placemat

Instructions

  1. Put the placemat on top of the glass of water, shiny side down
  2. Stand the Smarties tube on the placemat directly over the glass and balance the egg on top of the tube
  3. Give the side of the placemat a short, sharp, horizontal whack

Results and Explanation

The egg doesn’t go flying because the sideways force is only on the mat and the bottom of the tube, not the egg.

These experiments have not been specifically safety tested for home use but we believe them to be safe if the instructions are followed. Adult supervision or direction is recommended as appropriate. All experiments are carried out at your own risk.

Inertia
is formalised by Newton's First Law
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