person dropping pennies into a bottle with attached ring, water tank

 

Code Number: 1J11.30

Demo Title: Tipping Boat

Condition: Good

Principle: Center of Mass

Area of Study: Mechanics

Equipment: 

Pennies, Bottle with attached ring, water tank.

Procedure:

Place some pennies in the bottle.  Then place the bottle in the water tank and observe that it will float in an upright position.   Start placing pennies into the ring at the top of the bottle and observe that when the center of gravity becomes too high the bottle will tip over.

References:

  • Andrew Davis Cahoon, "Water Bottle Stability", TPT, Vol. 61, #9, Dec. 2023, p. 785.
  • Robert Ehrlich, "D.2, Stability of a Floating Object", Turning the World Inside Out, p. 39.