Balancing and stacking things
Physics · Early Years · The School
Stacking blocks
Build a tower, block by block, straight up. Watch carefully each time you add one. If a block sits a little off to one side, the whole tower leans that way, just a little. Add another off-centre block, and it leans even more.
Finding the middle
A tower stands firm when its weight sits right over the middle of its base. Lean too far to one side, and there is nothing underneath to hold it up any more. That is the exact moment it tips over and falls.
Balancing your own body
Stand on one foot. Hold your arms out wide to help. You are doing the very same thing as the tower. You are keeping your weight over your foot, right in the middle, so you do not tip over and fall.
Build two towers, each using six identical blocks. TOWER ONE: place each block carefully, straight on top of the last, centred every time. It stands tall and firm, not wobbling at all. TOWER TWO: place each block a little off to one side of the one below it. After block three, it already leans. After block five, it wobbles badly. By block six, it topples over completely. Same blocks. Same number. Same height, almost. The only real difference was HOW each one was stacked.