Newton's First Law

Lead Brick & Hammer

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Hold a 25-lb lead brick in your hand and hit it as hard as you can with a hammer. You won't feel a thing.

Dinner Table

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Sliding tablecloth out from under posh dinner setting. 

[In-Depth Description

Diving Egg Trick

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Egg plunges into glass upon lateral removal of pie tin by broom. 

Penny Catch 

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A row of 10 or 20 pennies are laid on your forearm - swing your arm forward and catch all the pennies in midair!

Uniform Motion

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Large ballbearing rolling on long PASCO track. 

[In-Depth Description]

Inertia of Rest

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Concrete block smashed on lecturer's chest with sledge hammer.

[In-Depth Description]

Locked Brakes

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The difference between static and kinetic friction can cause the car to skid when braking.

Air Table Center-of-Mass Motion

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Coupled masses on air table. 

Center of Mass

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Irregular lamina with marked center-of-mass tossed in air.

[In-Depth Description]

Magic Marker Center-of-Mass Motion

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Markers attached to an irregular lamina record the motion of various points, including the COM. 

Contact Us

Mailing Address: Lecture Demonstration Services, Science Center, Rm B-08A, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Campus Location: Science Center B-08A | Tel: (617) 495-5824 | Email: scidemos-at-fas.harvard.edu