Ingredients

n Index Card n

Tape

n Plastic Bottle

n Hex Nut

Science Terms

n Gravity – The force that pulls all objects toward the center of the Earth.

n Inertia – The tendency of an object to resist a change in is movement, whether the object is moving or at rest.

Instructions

n Step 1: Cut the index card into four long strips. Overlap the ends of the index card strips and tape the strips to each other. Connect the taped strips to create a closed hoop.

n Step 2: Balance the hoop over the plastic bottle. Place the hex nut on top of the hoop directly above the opening of the plastic bottle.

n Step 3: Hit the hoop from the inside.

Explanation

As you hit the hoop from the inside, it flattens the hoop somewhat, pulling the hoop down and away from the hex nut. Once this occurs, gravity pulls the hex nut into the plastic bottle. If you hit the hoop from the outside, it pushes the hex nut higher, overcoming its inertia and pushing it away from the plastic bottle.