Skip Navigation
Search

Action And Reaction - Instructor And Cart

Purpose

Demonstrate action-reaction pairs in a dramatic way.

Equipment

Wood cart with unidirectional wheels, five lead bricks.

Suggestions

Please be careful.

Setup Time

5 min.

Images

c5-19

Description

The instructor jumps off the cart and the cart moves in the opposite direction. The mass of the cart can be decreased by removing some of the lead bricks, but if the cart is too light it can become dangerous. Of course, the danger to the instructor heightens the interest in the experiment for the students.