Feel the Forces in a Moving Car
A small toy on a string and a closed bottle of water turn any ride into a physics lab. Your child predicts which way things will lean before every start, brake and turn.
What you need
- Small toy on a string, or a keyring
- Closed bottle half full of water
How to play
- Hold the string so the toy hangs freely in front of you.
- Ask your child which way the toy will swing when the car starts moving.
- Check the guess at the next start, then at a brake, then at a turn.
- Notice that the water in the closed bottle leans exactly the same way.
- Talk about why everything tips backwards when you speed up and forwards when you slow down.
