Diving Eggs Inertia Challenge - Newton's First Law Demonstration

By: The Flinn Staff


Students experience the effects of inertia every day—riding in a car, playing sports, even picking up their backpacks. Present a more dramatic demonstration of Newton’s law of inertia by safely and simultaneously dropping three eggs into beakers of water, without touching the eggs! Three weighted plastic eggs are balanced on tall plastic cylinders in an aluminum pan that rests on top of three beakers of water. A quick blow to the side of the pan sets the system in motion—but the heavier eggs with their greater inertia simply drop into the beakers of water. Performed either as an introduction to Newton’s First Law of Motion or as a “grand finale” at the end of a force and motion unit . . . applause is guaranteed!