Balancing Bird

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Equipment: A 'balancing bird' and a block of wood.

What it does: The bird defies expectations by balancing on its beak.

Concepts Demonstrated: Center of gravity.

Classroom assembly:

  1. Place the block on the front bench.
  2. Balance the bird on the block by its beak.

Note: each of the bird's wings contains a mass. These masses balance the mass of the body so that the center of gravity is located at the bird's beak.

Cautions: None.

Setup Time: Short.

Difficulty: Straightforward.

Visibility: Medium. This demonstration can be seen by most people in a large lecture theater.

Related demonstrations:

References: PIRA 1J20.XX

Original Construction: The balancing bird was purchased. The block of wood is approximately 1" x 1" x 6".

Disclaimer: All demonstrations are posted for the convenience and benefit of faculty and staff in the Department of Physics at Simon Fraser University and are not intended for outside use. The author(s) assume no responsibility or liability for the use of information contained on this site. Warnings and precautionary measures listed on this site assume normal operation of equipment and are not inclusive. Demonstrations may pose a significant hazard and can, in some instances, result in death; reasonable safety precautions must be taken. Demonstrations should be performed by qualified individuals only.

Prepared by Laura Schmidt, June 2007

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