This very simple to perform demo can be made very memorable by ensuring the students see it as a discrepant event. Students are expecting to see a free fall but instead see a low terminal velocity with no obvious source of friction.
Related Resources:
Guidelines for Constructive Demonstrations/Activities
Categories: Lab/Student Activity, Teacher Demonstration
The demonstrations/activities in this resource have been designed to challenge students' thinking as well as initiate lively classroom discussions that support constructivist learning. These short... read more
Teacher Demo: The Nose vs. the Wrecking Ball
Categories: Teacher Demonstration
A pendulum is constructed from a 1.0-kg mass suspended from the ceiling, with a length of strong string long enough so that, when pulled about 40o from the vertical, the mass comes to nose level. The... read more
Teacher Demo: Air Pressure
Categories: Teacher Demonstration
This demo illustrates the presence of atmospheric air pressure and shows how the force that it exerts is greater than the force of gravity in some situations. read more