| Did you ever experience a shove when the car you | | | | G-force is measured by units such as 0 g, 1 g, 2 g, 3 |
| were travelling in suddenly took a turn? Or have you | | | | g, and so on. If you are experiencing 0 g, it means |
| ever wondered why water does not spill out of a | | | | that you are experiencing weightlessness, as |
| bucket that is being swung around? The reason for | | | | astronauts experience when their spacecrafts leave |
| both these occurrences is the same. Here's a very | | | | the gravitational field of the earth. A G-force of 1 g |
| simple activity that I include in the homeschool | | | | means that you will feel your normal weight. A |
| curriculum that I teach. | | | | G-force of 2 g means that you will feel twice your |
| The Swirling Can Experiment: Tie a string to an | | | | weight, and so on. Now we will build an |
| empty soup can in such a way that you can hold | | | | accelerometer in order to measure G-force. This is |
| some water in the soup can while suspending the can | | | | another activity that I always include in the |
| from the string. Fill the can partly with water and, | | | | homeschool curriculum that I teach. |
| holding the string, swirl it around in a horizontal loop | | | | Homemade Accelerometer: Make a ring with a |
| by placing your hand above your head. Now swirl it | | | | transparent flexible pipe and connect both the free |
| around in front of you making a vertical loop. Does | | | | ends with a union or a connector. Fill the pipe with |
| the water spill while the can is in motion? Why not? | | | | colored water till it is half full before attaching the |
| The Answer: If you swirl the can at a particular | | | | union. Now place the ring on your table and mark the |
| speed the water will not spill out. As you swirl the | | | | 3 o'clock and 9'oclock positions while the union is at |
| can faster the water will feel heavier and press | | | | the 6 o'clock position. Now write 1 g at the 10:30 |
| against the bottom of the can. The faster you swirl | | | | position and 2 g at the 11:15 position. |
| the heavier will the water feel and the harder it will | | | | Let me explain the number game. If the hands of a |
| press towards the bottom of the can. As the can is | | | | clock are at the 9 o'clock position, there is an angle |
| swirled, the water actually wants to travel in a | | | | of 90 degrees between the hands. When the angle is |
| straight line, but the can turns and obstructs the | | | | reduced to half, that is 45 degree, the small hand will |
| water, maintaining contact with the water. Therefore | | | | be at 10:30: the 1 g mark. Still half of 45 is 22.5 |
| the water is not thrown out of the can. | | | | degrees, that at 11:15- the 2 g mark. Can you guess |
| The English scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, explained this | | | | where the 3 g mark will be? Now it's time to |
| phenomenon centuries ago. He said that an object | | | | measure the G-force you experience in your car. |
| moving in a straight line would continue moving in a | | | | Grasp the accelerometer ring at the 3 o'clock mark |
| straight line unless an external force acts on it. So as | | | | and measure how high the colored water rises when |
| your car changes direction, your shoulders and head | | | | your car swerves. You can also measure the G-force |
| continue in a straight line even though your car has | | | | while sitting on a rotating office chair. |
| changed direction. The door hits you and changes the | | | | If you enjoyed your swirling can and accelerometer |
| direction of your upper body to the same direction | | | | experiment, I want to tell you that I have many such |
| of the recently swerved car. This is an example | | | | exciting activities for you. Click the link below for |
| everyone experiences in practical life, and therefore | | | | your free "Homeschool Parent's Guide to Teaching |
| makes a great homeschool curriculum topic. | | | | Science", filled with great science experiments and |
| This change that the water in the can or your body | | | | activities. |
| feels while travelling in your car is called the G-force. | | | | |