Summary
Phil explores what keeps things balanced, from a spinning plate to a giant balancing sculpture. He shows how an object stays steady when the forces on it — including the pull of gravity — are evenly matched around its center. ~22 min, free on the official Science Max YouTube channel.
Viewer safety
All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Why do some things tip over and others stay perfectly still? Phil tests balance at every size.
- What does it mean for something to be balanced?
- Which way does gravity always pull an object?
- Where do you have to put your hand to balance a ruler on one finger?
- What makes a tower more likely to tip over?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: balance, gravity, center, force, steady.
Try it: Try to balance a pencil flat on one finger. Move it until it stays still, then mark the spot where it balanced.