phillip,
i think you're right - the swinging bucket demonstrates something about
centripetal forces - i recall explaining it as the imitation of the earth
spinning
and the water doesn't fly out because of the forces that are created by
the spinning, and so we are held onto the earth's surface because of the
rotations,
but - it seems to make sense, in a way, but then if i were to put a barbie
on a basketball and spin it around, i reckon she'd fly off - EEKS.
now THAT'S why i don't teach science or physics, eh? gads. after all these
years, to realize how misguided my stories can be!
i suppose the science teachers here are groaning in kinds of informed
agony eh?
diane
>diane - i laughed over your tale of swinging a bucket of water - and
>in fact, during the group talk about gravity i remembered that model of
>demonstrating gravity - only i've never understood how it was a
>demonstration of gravity - it seemed more of a demonstration of
>centripital force (spelling?) for afterall the water was being held up
>against the bottom of the bucket, whereas we are not physically on the
>bottom of the planet - so i've always been mystified about this model.
>one model i remember clearly in the fifth grade was a demonstration of air
>pressure, when the teacher filled a class up half way with water, placed a
>stiff piece of light-weight cardboard over the glass, turned it all upside
>down, released her hand holding the cardboard, and low, it all stayed in
>place! i went home and practiced that one many times.
"The world is too much with us,
late and soon..."
Wordsworth.
*********************************
diane celia hodges
Diane_Hodges@ceo.cudenver.edu
hodgesdiane@hotmail.com
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