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Science Rocks!


Pencil Balance

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your results

Sent in by:
Becky of Kasson, MN

Pencil posture! Make a pencil stand on its tip using only two pieces of wire and two clothespins.
Materials

Materials Needed


  • sharpened pencils
  • wire
  • clothespins

Instructions

Instructions


  1. Hint: You can balance it on your nose or finger.
  2. How did you get your pencil to balance on its tip? Why do you think it worked?


Now it's time to experiment. Pick an everyday object like a wooden spoon and a soda bottle. Can you get the spoon to balance on the soda bottle? What other materials do you need to help you do this? Be sure to send any discoveries you make to our special feedback area. Every week, we'll publish a whole bunch.

Some of your Results

Kamryn, age 11 of Marrero, LA wrote:
It was so awesome it balance on my nose it was hard at first but I got. It was pretty complicating to work with. When I read the results from other people. I took some of their advice. I went over to my mom's desk and starting of things and kept trying. I finally got it on my nose it stayed on their for a few seconds. I was so proud of myself! Yea me!!!

Anna, age 11 of Kansas City, MO wrote:
It goes so high that it won't stop balancing.

Anna, age 10 of Kansas City, MO wrote:
It was so high! It pulls gravity!

Kiki, age 9 of Las Vegas, NV wrote:
When I did it. I put stuf around it and I toke it off and it blace. It was Cool!!!

Tariq, age 6 of Maryland wrote:
The eraser was able to hold the pencil and anyway it worked!

Susan, age 9 of Philadelphia wrote:
It balance for 15 min. And it also worked.

Toni, age 13 of France wrote:
I watched the show while I was on vacation in america and it worked but not that long you need a bigger pencil

Laura, age 10 of West Palm Beach, FL wrote:
It balanced pretty good.

Rosaura, age 9 of Houston wrote:
When I did the experiment it was so cool because it balence by it self.

Miranda, age 9 of Glen Ellyn, IL wrote:
I balanced a pencil towards the lead part, and it balanced. But when I put it on the center, the lead part tipped down.

Leizel, age 10 of Las Vegas, NV wrote:
First it didnot stay on my nose but it stayed on my finger. I think it balenced because the clothes pin.

Rebecca, age 8 of Salem, OR wrote:
I kept it balanced on my finger! And I won!

Danielle, age 13 of Indianapolis wrote:
When I did it the pencil balanced. Then I tried again and it didnt turn out so well!

Jacinda, age 9 of Clarksburg, WV wrote:
I used diffrent items. I used 6cds a coke can and my cell phone. Balenced it on 25 business cards. When I had the 6 cds and the coke can on top of it it stayed up for about 3 minutes. The I put my cell phone on top of the coke can it stayed on for about 30 seconds.

Amanda, age 10 of Taunton, MA wrote:
When I did the Experiment I did it with a ruler. I tried to do it but it didn't Balance. The ruler just fall off but I did the Experiment.

Kersten, age 12 of Orlando, FL wrote:
We discovered that the pencial didn't do the balance thinging the pencil just fell off!!!

Macy, age 10 of Canandaigua wrote:
When I did the experiment, I was eager to see what would happen! So when I thried it it worked the pencil balenced on my nose and finger! It was awsome! Now I am going to try even more of your cool experiments!

Brittany of Bowling Green, KY wrote:
It was hard to ballance, it took a fiew times, but I got it.

Liliana, age 11 of Queens, NY wrote:
It balanced by itself. That was so much fun!

Tiriel, age 10 of Kenner, LA wrote:
It balanced very evenly. It s not like balancing a regular dull pencil with nothing to balace it.

Megan, age 11 of Surrey wrote:
It stayed up for about 1-2 minute's.

Adriabba, age 8 of Everett wrote:
It styed on my finger for only 1 min. and then it fell.

Marissa, age 10 of Honolulu, HI wrote:
I actually tried doing the balancing trick with a popsickle stick, one wire and two bolts. I did the same thing as you!

Erika, age 14 of Los Angeles, CA wrote:
You could support Garret's weight with a soda can or something that realate with that material.


not yet implemented