Inertia Demonstrator

Challenge Students to Explain Demo

Illustrate the effect of inertial mass with this moving visual demonstration. A 22mm steel ball rests on a thin metal card on top of a pillar, and a spring loaded catch is mounted next to the pillar. When the catch is released, a piston strikes the edge of the metal card sharply, ejecting it from under the ball. When the ball remains in place on top of the pillar, students are challenged to understand why. The card is tethered to the aluminum base for easy recovery after the experiment. Size: 4 1/2" x 2 3/4".