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Balancing Stick
published by the Exploratorium
This activity from the Exploratorium provides a vivid demonstration of the effect of an object's rotational inertia (moment of inertia).  The challenge is to balance a stick with a large piece of clay stuck to it in various locations and to decide which location makes the stick easiest to balance.  The site supplies an explanation of the physics and suggests a way to do the experiment that clarifies the observation.
https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/balancing-stick
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Motion, Forces, and Energy
- Rotational Dynamics
- High School
- Middle School
- Informal Education
- Instructional Material
= Activity
Intended Users Formats Ratings
- Learners
- Educators
- text/html
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Access Rights: Free access
Restriction: © 2006 Exploratorium
Has a copyright or other licensing restriction.
Keywords: angular inertia, angular momentum, center of gravity, center of mass, rotational inertia, rotational momentum
Record Cloner: Metadata instance created July 6, 2006 by Ann Deml
Record Updated: Aug 02, 2016 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:		 August 4, 2006
ComPADRE is beta testing Citation Styles!

Record Link
AIP Format
(Exploratorium, San Francisco, 2006), WWW Document, (https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/balancing-stick).
AJP/PRST-PER
Balancing Stick (Exploratorium, San Francisco, 2006), <https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/balancing-stick>.
APA Format
Balancing Stick. (2006, August 4). Retrieved May 22, 2025, from Exploratorium: https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/balancing-stick
Chicago Format
Exploratorium. Balancing Stick. San Francisco: Exploratorium, August 4, 2006. https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/balancing-stick (accessed 22 May 2025).
MLA Format
Balancing Stick. San Francisco: Exploratorium, 2006. 4 Aug. 2006. 22 May 2025 <https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/balancing-stick>.
BibTeX Export Format
@misc{ Title = {Balancing Stick}, Publisher = {Exploratorium}, Volume = {2025}, Number = {22 May 2025}, Month = {August 4, 2006}, Year = {2006} }
Refer Export Format

%T Balancing Stick %D August 4, 2006 %I Exploratorium %C San Francisco %U https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/balancing-stick %O text/html

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %D August 4, 2006 %T Balancing Stick %I Exploratorium %V 2025 %N 22 May 2025 %8 August 4, 2006 %9 text/html %U https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/balancing-stick


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Citation Source Information

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