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Heavy-Duty
Science Projects
with Weight
How Much Does
It Weigh?

Robert Gardner
Copyright © 2003 by Robert Gardner

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written
permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gardner, Robert, 1929–

Heavy-duty science projects with weight : how much does it weigh? /
Robert Gardner.
v. cm. — (Sensational science experiments)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents: Weighing in — More weighing in — Weight and position —
Gravity and different weights — Measuring weight: a “spring” scale —Weight
and friction — Becoming weightless — Seesaws, weights, distances, and levers
— Levers — An inclined plane — Measuring weight with a balance — Can you
weigh air? — Weighing air —Some effects of air’s weight — Defying gravity —
Defying gravity again — Using a siphon to defy gravity — Forces other than
gravity.
ISBN 0-7660-2013-4
1. Weight (Physics)—Experiments—Juvenile literature. [1. Weight (Physics)—
Experiments. 2. Measurement—Experiments. 3. Experiments. 4. Science
projects.] I. Title: How much does it weigh?. II. Title.
QC106 .G37 2003
530.8’1’078—dc21
2002008460
Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Our Readers: We have done our best to make sure all Internet Addresses in
this book were active and appropriate when we went to press. However, the author
and the publisher have no control over and assume no liability for the material available
on those Internet sites or on other Web sites they may link to. Any comments or
suggestions can be sent by e-mail to comments@enslow.com or to the address on
the back cover.

Illustration credits: Tom LaBaff

Cover illustrations: Tom LaBaff
 Contents
Introduction 5
Safety First 7
Weighing In 8
More Weighing In 10
Weight and Position 12
Gravity and Different Weights 14
Measuring Weight: A “Spring” Scale 16
Weight and Friction 18
Becoming Weightless 20
Seesaws, Weights, Distances, and Levers 22
Levers to Lift Weight 24
An Inclined Plane 26
Measuring Weight with a Balance 28
Can You Weigh Air? 30
Weighing Air 32
Some Effects of Air’s Weight 34
Defying Gravity 36
Defying Gravity Again 38
Using a Siphon to Defy Gravity 40
Forces Other Than Gravity 42
Words to Know 44
Further Reading 46
Internet Addresses 47
Index 48
( Experiments with a symbol feature Ideas for Your Science Fair.)
 Abbreviations
centimeter cm
feet, foot ft
gram g
inch in
kilogram kg
ounce oz
pound lb
Introduction
H ave you ever seen pictures of astronauts floating
in space? Have you ever wondered why we do
not float off the earth?
When you push open a door, you are using a force.
Forces are pushes or pulls. Forces make objects move.
One force, called gravity, always pulls us toward
earth. It keeps us from floating off into space. Even
astronauts floating in a space shuttle are being pulled
toward earth by gravity. They are floating because the
spaceship is also being pulled toward earth.
Gravity makes us and every object fall toward earth
when dropped. We measure the force of gravity by
weighing objects. You can find your weight by standing
on a bathroom scale. Gravity pulls you down against
the scale. Your weight is the force gravity exerts on you.
Weight is measured in pounds (lb) or kilograms
(kg). Pounds are divided into ounces (oz). Kilograms
are divided into grams (g). The weights of small things,
like medicines, are measured in ounces or grams.
In this book, you will learn how to change one kind
of measurement, like kilograms, into another such
as pounds.

5
Entering a Science Fair

S ome of the experiments in this book might

give you ideas for a science fair project. Those
experiments are marked with a symbol. Remember,
judges at science fairs like experiments that are
imaginative. It is hard to be creative unless you are
interested in your project. So pick a subject that you
enjoy and want to know more about.
You can add to the value of the experiments you
do by keeping notes. Set up an experiment notebook
and record your work carefully. As you do some of
these experiments, you will think of new questions
that you can answer with experiments of your own.
Go ahead and carry out these experiments (with your
parents’ or teacher’s permission). You are developing
the kind of curiosity that is shared by all scientists.
If you enter a science fair, you should read some of
the books listed in the back of this book. They will give
you helpful hints and lots of useful information about
science fairs. You will learn how to prepare appealing
reports that include charts and graphs. You will also
learn how to set up and display your work, how to
present your project, and how to talk with judges and
visitors.

6
Safety First
A s you do the activities and experiments in this or
any other book, do them safely. Remember the
rules listed below and follow them closely.

1. Any experiments that you do should be done

under the supervision of a parent, teacher, or
another adult.
2. Read all instructions carefully. If you have
questions, check with an adult. Do not take
chances.
3. If you work with a friend who enjoys science too,
keep a serious attitude while experimenting.
Fooling around can be dangerous to you and to
others.
4. Keep the area where you are experimenting clean
and organized. When you have finished, clean up
and put away the materials you were using.

7
 Weighing
H ow hard does earth pull on you? That is, how
much do you weigh?

Let’s Get Started! Things you w

ill ne ed:
1 Stand on a bathroom scale and read ✔ bathro o
m scale
✔ 5- or 10
the dial. According to the scale, how -pound
bag of sugar
much do you weigh? How hard does ✔ parent(
s)
earth pull on you? ✔ brother
(s) and/or
sister(s)
2 What is your weight in pounds (lb)
and in kilograms (kg)? To find out,
multiply your weight (in pounds) by .454 kg. For
example, if you weigh 100 pounds, you weigh 45.4 kg
because:

100 x .454 kg = 45.4 kg

Units Used to
Conversions
Measure Weight

Metric System U.S. Customary Metric System U.S. Customary

1 kg 1 lb 1 lb = .454 kg 1 kg = 2.2 lb

8
In
3 Place a 5- or 10-pound bag of sugar on the
scale. Does the reading on the dial agree
with the weight printed on the bag?
4 If you hold the bag of sugar and
stand on the scale, what weight
do you think the dial will show?
Try it! Were you right?
5 How much do your parents
weigh? If you have brothers
and/or sisters, how much do
they weigh?
6 Estimate (guess) the reading
on the scale if you and one
of your parents both stand
on the scale. Try it! Was your
estimate correct? Estimate
the reading on the dial when
you and a brother or sister
both stand on the scale.
Was your estimate a good
one?

9
 More
Let’s Get Started!
1
S uppose you stand on one leg while on a bathroom
scale. Do you think you will weigh half as much?
Or do you think you will weigh the same as when
you stand on the scale on both legs?
gs you will need:
Try it! Were you right?
Thin
✔ 2 bathro om scales 2 Find two bathroom scales that both
that give the show your weight to be the same.
same weight
Stand on both scales. Put your left
readings
✔ an ADULT foot on one scale and your right foot
on the other. Does each scale show
exactly half your weight? What is the sum of the weight
readings on the two scales? Is the sum equal to your
weight when you stand on one scale? What can you do
to make one scale show more weight than the other?
3 Put one scale on top of the other so the lower scale
can be read. Have an adult stand near you so that
you don’t fall. Will both scales show your true weight?
Or will one read higher than the other? What do you
think? Try it! Were you right? How can you explain
your results?

10
Weighing In
Idea for Your Science Fair
How much does your phone book weigh? Without
cutting the book, how can you find the weight of one
sheet in your phone book? (Remember a sheet has two
page numbers, one on each side.)

11
 Weight and
D oes your weight change when you sit down or lie
down?
Let’s Get Started!
1 You will need two bathroom scales. The scales should
give about the same weight reading when you stand
on each of them. Next, find a strong board that is
about as long as you are tall. Hold the board and
stand on a scale. What is the weight of you and the
board?
2 Place each end of the board on one of the bathroom
scales, as shown in the drawing. Stand on the board’s
midpoint. Have a friend record the weight reading
on each scale while you stand on
the board. Add the two weight
Thin gs you will ne ed :
readings together. How does
✔ 2 bathro om scales that
this number compare with the
give the same weight
readings weight of you holding the board?
✔ strong board about as What happens when you stand
long as yo u ar e ta ll
on the board closer to one scale
✔ a fr iend
than the other? Are the weight
✔ pen or pencil and paper
readings on the two scales

12
Position
equal? Is the sum of the two weight readings equal to
the weight of you and the board?
3 Do you think your weight will change if you lie down
on the board? Try it! What is the sum of the readings
on the two scales? Does your weight change when you
sit down? Design an experiment to find out.
4 Stand on one scale without the board. As you watch
the dial, quickly lower your upper body by bending
your knees. What happens to your weight? Try to
explain what you observe.

13
 Gravity and
W hat happens if you drop a heavy ball and a light
ball from the same height? Which ball do you
think will reach the floor first? Or will they both reach
the floor at the same time? You can easily find out.

Let’s Get Started!

1 Hold a tennis ball in one hand and a baseball in the

other. Hold them at the same height and release them
at the same time. As they land, do you hear one thud
or two? What can you say about how fast they fall?
2 Suppose an object is moving sideways
Things you
will need: as it falls. Will it take longer to fall than
✔ tennis ball an object that falls straight down? To
✔ baseball find out, place one coin on a ruler.
✔ 2 coins Place a second coin near a table’s edge,
✔ ruler
as shown in the drawing. Place the
✔ table
index finger of one hand on the center
of the ruler. Using the side of the other hand’s
palm, strike the ruler sharply at the point indicated
by the arrow. The coin resting on the ruler will fall
straight down to the floor. The coin on the table will fly

14
Different Weights
off horizontally. Listen carefully. Do the two coins hit
the floor at the same time, or does one land before the
other? What can you say about how fast they fall?
Idea for Your Science Fair
Design an experiment to map the paths followed by
the two coins in this experiment.

15
Measuring Weight:
A spring scale is used to measure weight in grams,
kilograms, ounces, or pounds. You can make
your own “spring” scale using a long, thin rubber
band. Once made, save it for the
next experiment.
Things you will ne ed:
Let’s Get Started! ✔ long, thin rubber band
1 If possible, drive a nail into a ✔ nail
✔ basement wall or post,
basement wall or post. (Check
or an old table and a
with an adult first.) Or cover a heavy object, such as
nail’s sharp end with tape and a very big book
place the nail at the edge of an old ✔ tape
✔ paper clips
table. Put something heavy like a
✔ paper punch or large nail
very big book on top of the nail. ✔ paper or plastic cup, such
2 Attach a paper clip to each end of as 8-oz yogurt container
✔ string
the rubber band. Hang one paper
✔ scissors
clip from the nail. ✔ cardboard
3 Use a paper punch or nail to make ✔ pencil
✔ tablespoon
three equally spaced holes near the
✔ water
top of a paper or plastic cup. Put ✔ eraser, pen, cup, and
string through the holes and tie it. other common small
Hang the cup by the string from objects

16
A “Spring” Scale
the paper clip at the lower end of the
rubber band.
4 Tape a strip of cardboard about a
foot long behind or beside the
rubber band. With a pencil,
mark the lower end of the
rubber band on the cardboard.
Start making a weight scale by
adding 2 tablespoons (1 oz) of
water to the cup. Again, mark
the end of the rubber band on
the cardboard. Continue adding
ounces of water until you have a
0- to 8-ounce scale.
5 Use your rubber-band scale to
weigh things. How much does
an eraser weigh? A pen? A cup
of water? What other objects can
you weigh with your “spring”
scale? What things are you not
able to weigh?

17
 Weight and
Let’s Get Started!
Things you will ne ed:
1
F ind a wooden block. Put on a pair ✔ ooden block
w
of work gloves. Use sandpaper to ✔ work gloves
smooth any rough edges on the block. ✔ sandpaper
ble
Place the block on a smooth, level ✔ counter or ta
✔ thumbtack
surface such as a counter or table.
✔ string
2 Use a thumbtack to attach a string to ✔ rubber-band scale
the block. Connect the other end of the made in previous
experiment
string to the “spring” scale you made in
✔ ruler
the previous experiment. ✔ a weight, such as
3 Use the spring scale to pull the block a can of soup
along the surface. How much force is
needed to pull the block along the surface at a slow
and steady speed? Just like in the last experiment, the
spring scale will allow you to measure the force needed
to pull the block along the surface. This force is the
frictional force between the block and the surface.
Friction always opposes motion.
4 Now, do an experiment to see how weight affects
friction. Place a weight such as a can of soup on the

18
Friction
block. Again, use your spring scale to pull the block
along the surface. Compare this measurement with
the first one. How has the added weight changed the
friction between the block and the surface over which
it slides?
Ideas for Your Science Fair
Design an experiment of your own to see how
changing the block’s surface affects friction. You might
consider surfaces made of rubber, aluminum foil,
waxed paper, plastic wrap, and others.

Does the
surface over which the
block moves change the frictional
force? Design an experiment to find out.

19
 Becoming
H ave you ever been weightless? It may surprise
you to learn that you probably have been. You
can find out when you have been
Things yo u weightless if you can find a spring balance
will ne ed:
such
at home or borrow one at school.
✔a weight,
as a kilogram Let’s Get Started!
weight or 1 Begin by hanging a weight from the
other object
✔spring balance spring balance. According to the spring
with large dial balance, how much does the weight
✔thick pillows weigh?
✔a friend
2 Put some thick pillows beneath the
weight. Have a friend release the balance and weight
so that they free fall through the air to the pillows.
Watch the dial on the spring scale closely as it and the
weight fall. (You may have to repeat the experiment
several times to observe the dial.) What is the weight
measured on the spring scale as the two objects fall?
From the result of the experiment you have just
done, when do you think you have been weightless?
Ideas for Your Science Fair
Use a camcorder to film the balance and weight as

20
Weightless
they fall. Then view the film in slow motion so you can
see the dial more easily.
Astronauts in the space shuttle or the International
Space Station in orbit about the earth are weightless.
If they were attached to a spring balance, the dial
would read zero. Try to explain why these astronauts
are weightless.

21
 Seesaws, Weights,
I f you have been on a seesaw, you know that it
makes a difference where a weight is located. You
can see that this is true on a smaller scale.

Let’s Get Started!

1 Tape the ends of a pencil to a table. Place a 12-inch

ruler on the pencil so that the ruler balances. Now,
put a penny near one end of the ruler. The ruler is
no longer balanced. The end with the penny rests on
the table.
2 Take a second penny. Place it near the center of the
ruler but opposite the side where the first penny rests.
Is the ruler balanced? Slowly push the second penny
inch by inch toward the end of the ruler. Where is the

22
Distances, and Levers
second penny when the ruler is balanced
again? As you can see, distance from the Things you
will ne ed:
center of the ruler is as important as
✔ tape
weight when trying to achieve balance. ✔ pencil
3 Place two pennies halfway between the ✔ table
✔ 12-inch ruler
center and end of the ruler. Where should
✔ several pennies
you place a single penny to make the ruler
balance? You have just seen that a weight,
correctly placed, can balance twice its weight. This is
the idea behind the lever, which is a simple machine. If
the fulcrum (in this case the pencil) is moved, a small
weight can be used to lift a very big weight. You will
work with a lever in the next experiment.

23
 Levers to Lift
Y ou can build a lever. It can be used to lift a heavy
weight using a small force.

Let’s Get Started!

1 Find a strong board, about six feet long. Place a

shorter stick of wood under one end of the board, as
shown in the drawing. The shorter stick will be the
fulcrum. The lever turns on the fulcrum.
2 Place a pail of sand or a concrete block on the end of
the board nearest the fulcrum. Go to the other end
of the board. Try to lift the heavy weight by pushing
down on the board. Easy, isn’t it?
3 Gradually move to points closer to the fulcrum. Try
lifting the weight by pushing down on the board at
each point until you reach the fulcrum. What happens
to the force needed to lift the weight as you move
closer to the fulcrum? How does a lever make work
easier?
4 Remove the weight from the board. Move the fulcrum
closer to the center of the board. Replace the weight.
Push on the end of the board. What happens to the

24
Weight Things you will ne ed:
✔ strong board, about
2 meters (6 ft) long
✔ stick of wood about
force needed to lift the weight
30 cm (1 ft) long
as the fulcrum is moved closer ✔ pail of sand or a
to the center of the board? concrete block
What happens to the force
needed to lift the weight as the fulcrum is moved closer
to the end of the lever where you are pushing?
Idea for Your Science Fair
How did early Egyptians use levers to build the
pyramids?

fulcrum

25
 An Inclined
A n inclined plane slants up from one level to a
higher level. Like the lever, the inclined plane
is a simple machine. These simple machines are
used so a small force can lift a big weight. You can
build an inclined plane.

Let’s Get Started!

1 Place one end of a board on the floor. Place the
other end on several thick books.
2 Connect one end of a string to a rubber band with
a paper clip. Tie the other end of the string to a toy
truck.
eed:
3 Hold the top of the rubber band Things you will n
against a ruler, as shown in the ✔ board about 120 cm
drawing. Look at the rubber band. (4 ft) long and
15 cm (6 in) wide
How much is the rubber band
✔ thick bo oks
stretched by the truck’s weight? ✔ rubber band
y truck
4 Put the truck on the inclined plane, ✔ large to
✔ paper clip
facing up the “hill.” Pull the truck slowly
✔ string
along the incline with the rubber band. ✔ 12-inch ruler
How much is the rubber stretched now?

26
Plane
How does the force needed to pull the truck up the
inclined plane compare with the truck’s weight?
5 Use more books to make the incline steeper. What
happens to the force needed to pull the truck along
the board?
Idea for Your Science Fair
If you hang twice as much weight on a spring scale,
it stretches twice as much. If you hang twice as much
weight on a rubber band, does it also stretch twice
as much?

27
Measuring Weight
W eight can be measured with balances. You can
make a simple balance.

Let’s Get Started! Things you

will ne ed:
1 Place a 12-inch ruler on a sheet of firm ✔ 12-inch ruler
cardboard. Draw an outline of the ruler. ✔ sheet of firm
Use scissors to cut out the outline. With cardboard
a nail, make three holes at the points ✔ pencil
✔ scissors
shown in the drawing. Push a large
✔ nail
finishing nail through the hole at ✔ finishing nail
the center of the cardboard. Place the ✔ 2 tall cans or
ends of the nail on two tall cans or glasses
✔ paper clips
glasses.
✔ 2 small
2 Unfold two paper clips and hang aluminum or
plastic cups
them in the holes at opposite ends
✔ thin string
of the cardboard beam. ✔ clay
✔ rubber eraser
3 Using a nail, make three equally ✔ standard
spaced holes near the tops of two gram weights
small aluminum or plastic cups. Use or paper clips
thin string to hang the cups from ✔ water
the lower ends of the paper clips.

28
with a Balance
You now have a balance beam and pans. If the
cardboard beam is not quite level, add a small piece of
clay to the high side of the beam.

clay

1 in 1 in
4 4

4 Place a rubber eraser in the left pan. To find its weight,

place gram weights in the right pan. If you do not have
standard (gram) weights, use paper clips. For example,
the eraser might weigh 50 paper clips. How much
does a small cup of water weigh? What other things
can you weigh with your balance? What things are you
not able to weigh?

29
 Can You
D oes air have weight? To find out, you will need a
bigger balance than the one you built before.

Let’s Get Started!

ill ne ed:
Things you w 1 Ask an adult to drill three small
✔ an ADULT holes through a yardstick at the
bit
✔ drill and drill points shown in the drawing. Use
✔ yardstick
✔ string
string to hang the center of the
✔ nail yardstick from a strong nail. Put
✔ paper clips opened paper clips through the holes
✔ clay at each end of the balance. If the
cal
✔ 2 large, identi
balance beam (yardstick) is not quite
plastic bags
✔ twist ties level, add a small piece of clay to the
lighter, higher side to make it level.

2 Squeeze any enclosed air from two large, identical

plastic bags. Use twist ties to hang the two bags from
opposite ends of the balance beam. The beam should
be level. Remove one bag. Open it and pull it through
air to fill it. Use the same twist tie to seal the bag and
hang it from the same end of the balance as before.
Does the bag weigh more when filled with air?

30
Weigh Air?
3 You may have been surprised to find that air appears
to be weightless. But suppose you tried to weigh
yourself in water. If you float, you would be weightless
in water. The water lifts you upward so that in water
you appear to be weightless. Similarly, air weighed in
air is lifted upward. It seems weightless.
In the next experiment you will see that air does
have weight.

31
 Weighing
I n this experiment, you will pack air into a smaller
space than it normally fills. That is, you will squeeze
air together. You can do that by forcing air into a
balloon.
Let’s Get Started!
1 Blow up a large balloon (9-inch or bigger). Then
release the air through the balloon’s neck. Air rushes
from the balloon because the air has been squeezed
together inside the balloon and now it can spread out
freely.
2 For this experiment, use the yardstick balance you
made in the previous experiment. Use twist ties to
hang two identical balloons from opposite ends of the
balance. If necessary, add a small piece of clay to level
the beam.
3 Use a bicycle pump to blow up one of the balloons
with air. Seal its neck with the twist tie and hang it
from the balance beam as before. How can you tell
that the air-filled balloon weighs more than the empty
balloon?

32
Air Things you will n
✔ 2 large ballo ons (9
eed:
-inch
Idea for Your Science Fair or bigger)
If a laboratory balance is ✔ twist ties
you
✔ yardstick balance
available, you can do an ious
made in the prev
additional experiment. Find an experiment
inflatable ball, such as a soccer ✔ clay
ball. Let the air out of the ball ✔ bicycle-tire pump
and weigh it. Then use an air
pump to fill the ball with air until it is hard. Place the
inflated ball back on the balance. Does air have
weight? How can you tell?

33
 Some Effects
A s you have seen, air has weight. Its weight
pushes on everything on earth. It pushes in all
directions, even upward.
Let’s Get Started!
Things you will ne ed:
1 Fill a small bottle with water. Be sure it ✔ small bottle
is completely full. Place a piece of light ✔ water
✔ piece of light,
cardboard over the bottle’s mouth. The
thin cardboard
cardboard must completely cover the ✔ sink
opening. Holding the cardboard in ✔ tall test tube or
place, turn the bottle upside down over olive bottle
a sink. Remove your hand from the ✔ pail
✔ clear, plastic soda
cardboard. The upward push of the air
straw
on the cardboard keeps the water in ✔ drinking glass
the bottle.
2 Place a tall test tube or an empty olive bottle in a pail
of water. Fill the tube with water. Turn it upside down
and keep the mouth of the tube below the water level.
Slowly lift it. Notice that the water stays in the tube as
long as the mouth of the tube is below the water level
in the pail. This is not surprising. Air can push hard
enough to hold up a column of water 33 feet high.

34
of Air’s Weight
3 Raise the tube some more until its mouth is just above
the level of the water in the pail. Watch bubbles of air
enter the tube replacing the water. What do you think
pushes the bubbles up the tube?
4 Place a clear, plastic soda straw in a glass of water. Put
your finger tightly on the top end of the straw. Lift
the straw from the water. What do you think keeps the
water in the straw? What will happen when you lift
your finger?

35
 Defying
S uppose you hold a pail of water over a sink and
turn it upside down. You would not be surprised
to see the water fall from the pail. The
water’s weight made it fall. Things you
There are ways to “defy” gravity, will ne ed:
✔ drinking
to keep things from falling. In this
glass
experiment, you will learn about one ✔ water
of them. ✔ plastic pail
with a handle
Let’s Get Started! ✔ sink
1 Add a glass of water to a plastic pail.
Go outdoors and swing the pail in a vertical circle, as
shown in the drawing. The water will stay in the pail.
How slowly can you swing the pail and keep the water
from falling?
For any object to move in a circle, there must be a
force pushing or pulling it inward toward the circle’s
center. Otherwise, the object would move in a straight
line. The inward force may be greater than the
object’s weight. If the circular path is like the motion
of a Ferris wheel, gravity’s force may be hidden. The
inward force at the top of the circle may be greater

36
Gravity
than the force of
gravity. As a result,
the object will
not fall.
Why do
people not
fall when a
roller coaster
does a loop-
the-loop?
When
the pail is
at the bottom
of its swing,
your arm must
provide two forces.
Your arm must support
the weight of the pail
and water. It also must
provide the inward force to keep the pail moving in a
circle. Can you feel the extra force when the pail is at
the bottom of its swing?

37
 Defying
Let’s Get Started!
1
H old a clear soda straw in a glass
of colored water. Look closely.
You can see that the water inside the
Things you
will ne ed:
straw is higher than the water ✔ an ADULT
✔ clear soda straw
outside. Try a straw that is narrower.
✔ drinking glass
Does the water rise higher in the ✔ fo od coloring
narrower straw? ✔ water
✔ soda straw with
2 Ask an adult to help you with
narrow diameter
the rest of this experiment. Wear ✔ work gloves
work gloves when handling ✔ 2 glass sheets
glass to avoid cuts on sharp about 15 cm x
edges. How is the height to 10 cm (6 in x 4 in)
✔ shallow container
which water rises affected by the
greater than 10 cm
width of the opening of the (6 in) wide
container? To find out, fill a ✔ large, wide rubber
shallow container with water band
✔ thin wooden strip
and add a little food coloring to
(a ruler)
it. Put a slice of wood between
two sheets of glass, perhaps from picture
frames. Place the pieces of glass in the water, as

38
Gravity Again
shown in the drawing. Use a wide rubber band to hold
the glass sheets together.
The tendency of water (and other liquids) to defy
gravity in narrow spaces is called capillarity or
capillary action. The water is pulled upward because it
is attracted by the glass. How is the height of the
water in a narrow space affected by the width
of the space?

Idea for Your

Science Fair
Use scissors to cut a strip
about one inch wide
from a paper towel.
Put one end of
the paper-towel
strip in the container
of colored water. How high will the
water rise up the towel? What do you notice about the
color at the top of the paper-towel strip? Examine a
piece of paper towel under a microscope. Why do you
think water defies gravity and moves up the towel?

39
Using a Siphon
Let’s Get Started!
Things you
will need:
1
N early fill a pail with water. Place
it on a counter by a sink. Place
an empty pail in the sink. The empty
✔ 2 pails
✔ water
✔ counter
pail must be lower than the one that ✔ sink
holds water. ✔ flexible plastic
or rubber tubing
2 Find a length of flexible plastic or rubber ✔ a friend
tubing that will easily reach from one
pail to the other. Lower the tubing into the pail of
water. Coil the tubing around inside the container to fill
the whole tube with water.
3 When the tube is filled, hold your finger
over one end of the tube. Keeping your
finger over the end, lift that end and put
it into the empty container in the sink.
Remove your finger. Notice that the
water flows uphill, against gravity, and
then down into the lower pail. You have
made a siphon.
4 Let about half the water flow from the
upper pail to the lower one. Then ask a
40
to Defy Gravity
friend to hold the tube while
you raise the lower pail.
Raise the lower pail until the
end of the tube in your pail
is higher than the end of
the tube in the pail on the
counter. What happens to
the direction of the water
flow when you reach this
point? Can you change the direction
of the water flow back to the way it was?

Idea for Your

Science Fair
The setups for two siphon
races are shown here. Can
you predict the winners
of each race? Gather the
necessary equipment and
test your predictions.

41
 Forces Other
Thin g s you w ill need: G ravity is a strong force. But
there are other forces that
are stronger. You have already
ler
✔ plastic comb or ru
✔ wo olen cloth seen some of them. You saw
per
✔ small pieces of pa the force between water and
✔ kitchen fauc et the surfaces in small openings
✔ magn et
defy gravity and lift the water.
✔ paper clips
You were able to keep water in
an upside-down pail by moving it in a circle. You
created what is called a centripetal force that was
stronger than gravity.
Let’s Get Started!
1 Electrical forces can be stronger than gravity. To see
such a force, rub a plastic comb or ruler on a woolen
cloth. The rubbing will cause the comb to become
electrically charged. Bring the charged comb or ruler
near some small pieces of paper. You will find that
the electric force created by the charged comb can
overcome gravity and lift the paper particles.
2 Rub the comb again and bring it near a very thin
stream of water coming from a kitchen faucet.

42
Than Gravity
What evidence do you have that electrical forces can
overcome gravity?
3 Bring a small magnet near some paper clips. Can
magnetic forces overcome the force of gravity? How
can you tell?

Idea for Your Science Fair

Are there other forces stronger than the force of
gravity? Do some research at your library to find out.

43
Words to Know
air pressure—The push on a surface due to the
weight of the earth’s atmosphere.
balance—A device that measures weight. It
compares an unknown weight with one that is
known.
capillarity—The rise of some liquids in small spaces
due to the attraction between the liquids and solid
surfaces.
centripetal force—An inwardly directed force
causing an object to follow a curved path. Earth
satellites are pulled inward by the earth’s gravity.
The force of gravity provides the centripetal force.
friction—A force that acts against motion whenever
the surface of one object slides over another.
fulcrum—The point on which a lever turns.
gravity—The force of attraction between two
objects. On and near the earth, the main
gravitational force is caused by the earth pulling on
objects.

44
inclined plane—A simple machine, usually a board
raised at one end, that is used to reduce the force
needed to raise a weight.
lever—A simple machine, usually a bar that turns on
a fulcrum.
siphon—A liquid-filled tube that can be used to raise
water over a barrier and transfer it to a lower level.
spring scale—A spring used to measure weight or
other forces. A marked scale is used to measure
the weight.
weight—The force on an object caused by gravity.
weightlessness—A situation in which you feel none
of the effects of gravity such as a force against
your feet. This commonly occurs during a free fall
near the earth’s surface or on a spaceship orbiting
the earth.

45
Further Reading
Bombaugh, Ruth J. Science Fair Success, Revised
and Expanded. Springfield, N.J.: Enslow
Publishers, Inc., 1999.
Gardner, Robert. Science Project Ideas About Air.
Springfield, N.J.: Enslow Publishers, 1997.
Jennings, Terry. Weighing and Measuring. Orlando,
Fla.: Raintree, Steck-Vaughn, 1996.
Nankivell-Aston, Sally. Science Experiments with
Forces. Danbury, Conn.: Franklin Watts, 2000.
Pluckrose, Henry. Weight. Danbury, Conn.:
Children’s Press, 1995.
Stringer, John. Science of Gravity. Orlando, Fla.:
Raintree, Steck-Vaughn, 2000.
White, Larry. Gravity: Simple Experiments for
Young Scientists. Brookfield, Conn.: Millbrook
Press, 1996.

46
Internet Addresses
Annenberg/CPB. Amusement Park Physics.
©1997–2002.
<http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics>

The Exploratorium. Exploratorium Science Snacks. n.d.

<http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/
snackintro.html>

The Regents of the University of Michigan. Your

Science Fair Project Resource Guide. ©2002.
<http://ipl.si.umich.edu/div/kidspace/
projectguide>

Scifair.org and John W. Gudenas. The Ultimate

Science Fair Resource. ©2000.
<http://www.scifair.org>

47
Index
A L
astronauts, 5, 21 levers, 22–25
B M
balances magnetic force, 43
how to make, 28–29, 30–31 measurement conversions, 8
weighing with, 29, 30–31 S
C safety, 7
capillarity, 38–39 science fair, 6
centripetal force, 36–37, 42 seesaws, 22–23
D simple machines, 22–27
defying gravity, 36–41 siphons, 40–41
by capillarity, 38–39 spring balance
by centripetal force, 36–37 measuring with, 20
by siphoning, 40–41 spring scale
E how to make, 16
effects of air’s weight, 34–35 measuring with, 17, 18–19
electrical forces, 42–43 W
F weighing
falling and gravity, 14–15 air, 30–33
forces, 5 people in different
electric, 42–43 positions, 12–13
magnetic, 43 people on bathroom
friction, 18–19 scales, 8–9
fulcrum, 23, 24–25 people on two scales,
G 10–11, 12–13
gravity, 5 with a balance, 28–29
and falling weights, 14 with a spring scale, 16–17
and falling along different weight, 5
paths, 14–15 and friction, 18–19
defying, 36–41 units of measurement,
I 5, 8
inclined plane, 26–27 weightlessness, 20–22

48