75
BALANCING
ACT
SCIENCE
PART...
THE
Place the toothpick
on the rim of a glass.
Carefully adjust
the position of the
toothpick until
the forks balance.
They should not be
touching the table.3
The forks might seem like they
are defying gravity, but it has
to do with something called
the center of mass.T
H
E(^) F
O
R
K
S
(^) L
O
O
K
(^) L
IK
E
(^) T
H
E
Y’
R
E
(^) F
L
O
A
T
IN
G
!
Center
of mass
This is the central point
of the total weight of
something. It is where
everything is perfectly
balanced. The diagram
shows the center of mass
just below where the
toothpick touches the
glass. By resting the
toothpick on the rim of the
glass at exactly this point,
the forks are able to balance.
US_074-075_Balancing_act.indd 75 12/09/2018 15:50