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    Drinking-Straw Microbalance and Seesaw: Stability and Instability

    235874_235874.pdf (1.269Mb)
    Access Status
    Open access
    Authors
    Chapman, P.
    Glasser, Leslie
    Date
    2015
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Chapman, P. and Glasser, L. 2015. Drinking-Straw Microbalance and Seesaw: Stability and Instability. Physics Teacher. 53 (3): pp. 165-168.
    Source Title
    Physics Teacher
    DOI
    10.1119/1.4908087
    ISSN
    0031-921X
    School
    Nanochemistry Research Institute
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/14314
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    The mechanics of a beam balance are little appreciated and seldom understood. We here consider the conditions that result in a stable balance, with center of gravity below the fulcrum (pivot point), while an unstable balance results when the center of gravity is above the fulcrum. The highly sensitive drinking-straw microbalance, which uses a plastic drinking straw as a rigid beam, is briefly described with some slight convenient modifications. Different placements of the center of gravity are considered analytically to explain the equilibrium neutrality, stability, and instability of such beam balances as the microbalance, the playground “seesaw” or “teeter-totter,” the “dipping bird,” and other toys and magic tricks.

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