Balloon In A Box

• You will need the following materials to complete this project: four pieces of plywood, a balloon, a lead sinker, a needle, rubber bands, tape, nails and a hammer. Construct a rectangle with the plywood and nails. Attach the lead sinker to the top of the rectangle using elastic bands so that it hangs in the center of the rectangle. Elastic bands should be pulled taunt by the sinker. Attach a needle to the top of the sinker so that the sharp end points up. Inflate a balloon and attach it to the inside of the top board, directly above the needle. Drop the structure from about 5 feet. The structure becomes weightless as it falls, causing the elastic bands to retract and the needle to puncture the balloon.
  
  

Tornado in a Bottle

• For this project, you will need two empty 2-litre soda bottles, one Tornado Tube plastic connector or a washer for a faucet and food coloring. Fill one of the bottles 2/3 of the way with water and add food coloring. Connect the two bottles, using a Tornado Tube plastic connector. Make sure that the seal is not too tight. Place bottles on a sturdy surface, with the empty bottle on the bottom. The water from the top bottle will drip into the empty one, while air from the bottom bottle will escape to the top. If it stops dripping, spin the bottles in a circular motion. Watch as a tornado type funnel is formed. Gravity will pull the water into the empty bottle. The speed of the process depends on the pressure of the air in the empty bottle.
  
  

Toys and Gravity

• With a paddleball, hold the paddle in one hand and the ball in the other, the stretch your arms as far as you can. Let go of the ball and observe its path. Hold the ball and paddle again but raise the ball a foot higher than the paddle. Observe the path that the ball takes now. The inclined angle will cause the ball to move more quickly back to the paddle. The higher the angle, the faster that ball will move.
  
  

Anti-Gravity Water

• Use drinking glasses in varying sizes, water, cardboard or index cards in different sizes and a medicine dropper for this project. Fill a glass 3/4 of the way full with water, then use the medicine dropper to fill the glass the rest of the way, making sure it is completely filled. Place the cardboard or index card over the top of the glass. Hold the card tightly over the brim. Turn the glass upside down, over a sink. By making sure no air bubbles get in, you will create enough pressure to keep the water from pouring out of the cup and, therefore, defying gravity. Repeat these steps using different amounts of water, sizes of cups and types of cards and record the results.