Gravity Experiments
Balancing Acts

These gravity experiments are fun to do and use materials found around the house. Three centuries ago Newton discovered gravity. Gravity holds us to the Earth and keeps us from floating out into space. If you weigh 100 pounds on Earth and moved to the Moon to live you would only weigh 17 pounds if you stepped on a scale there.

Gravity Experiments, Balancing Acts, Photo by Myrna MartinFun balancing experiment

The force of gravity is also the reason why if you hold a potato, fork and pencil in your hand and let them go they will fall to the ground. In these intriguing experiments you will be balancing three objects on the edge of a table. The first experiment will be with a pencil, fork and potato. After balancing these three objects you will try to balance other objects.

Materials

  • Pencil
  • Potato
  • Orange
  • Apple
  • Other fruits or vegetables
  • Fork
  • Edge of a table

Directions

  1. Place a potato on the ground.
  2. Push a sharp pencil through the potato so it reaches the other side.
  3. The pencil should stick out from the potato about the width of two fingers.
  4. Stick the fork in the potato at an angle.
  5. See the picture for an idea.
  6. Try to balance the pencil lead on the edge of the table.
  7. If it doesn't balance move the fork up or down and try to balance the objects again.
  8. Continue moving the fork until the three objects balance on the edge of a table.
  9. If your table edge is too wide use a clipboard weighted down instead.
  10. After you have balanced the potato try the same experiment with an apple.
  11. Notice angle of the fork compared to the potato.
  12. How do you think an orange should be balanced?
  13. Balance the orange, fork and pencil. Were your right?
  14. Try balancing other fruits and vegetables that have different shapes.

More Links to Science Experiments

Elementary Science Experiment, Earthquake Waves Create your own wave box that makes paper clips jump when earthquake waves pass through them.

Gravity Experiment, Topsy Turvy Plants Have fun growing tomatoes upside down in this fun experiment.

Elementary Science Experiments, Bird Feeders Study the feeding habits of wild birds in your back yard or porch area in this interesting experiment.

Science Experiment, Mentos Experiment Have fun creating a geyser of diet coke in the fun and exciting experiment.

Science Experiments, Great Ice Cube Race The great ice cube race tests the time it takes for different shapes of ice cubes to melt.

Gravity Experiments, Balancing Acts Learn how to balance a potato, fork and pencil on the edge of a table.

Earth Science The links on this page include information on the Earth, the Rock Cycle, Volcanoes, experiments, activities and much more.

KIDS FUN SCIENCE BOOKSTORE

RC Igneous Rocks
ID Metamorphic Rocks

Check out Myrna Martin's award winning textbooks, e-books, videos and rock sets.  The Kids Fun Science Bookstore covers a wide range of earth science topics.  Click here to browse. 

Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Sign up to our monthly newsletter and receive our FREE eBook containing 3 fun activities that don’t appear in any of our other books!

The Kids Fun Science monthly newsletter will include the following: current events, weird and fantastic facts, a question of the month, science trivia and the latest new content from our website.

We respect your privacy and you can be assured that we will never share your email address or use it for any other purpose than to send you our newsletter.