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Newton's Laws Stations Activity
Beads of Destiny (student handout)
Background Information, Activity Setup:
Inertia, force, and motion all come into play as Sir Isaac Newton's favorite beads pull them-
selves out of a container. All it takes is a slight tug and the long string of beads literally pulls
itself out of the container and onto the floor. Best of all, fifty feet of beads empty from the
container in under five seconds! How does it work? Inertia and potential energy and gravity
and acceleration…quite a package!
Materials:
• Long strand of beads
• Large glass container
Step-by-Step Procedure:
The key to creating the fountain of beads is to make sure the beads are loaded into the
plastic container properly. While the beads were properly loaded into the container during
the manufacturing process, they might have gotten tangled during the shipping process. Go ahead and try to pull the end
of the string as described below to see if it works, but it's best to start over and make sure the container is loaded properly as
detailed in the directions below.
1. Mark each of the ends of the string of beads with a piece of tape.
2. Hold the container up high with one hand while pulling the end of the string of beads over the edge of the container using
a fast-pulling motion.
3. Instantly, the beads will start to climb over the side of the container and land on the floor (or into a second container
if you're really good). The weight of this small section of beads should be enough to pull the rest of the beads out
of the container.
4. Watch as the fountain of beads flows from the container and onto the floor.
5. As the speed picks up, the string will rise above the rim of the container due to the inertia of the moving beads.
6. Feed the string of beads back into the container. (It's important to note that there's no shortcut to this process. Find one
end of the string of beads and thread it into the container. Continue to feed the beads into the container being careful not
to tangle the string until the entire strand is in the container.)
Test Your Understanding:
1. Explain how Newton's laws are involved in this activity. Use complete sentences.
2. Do you think different kinds of containers would make a difference? Explain.
3. Do you think different kinds of beads would make a difference? Explain.
Name: Class: Date:
