Materials Required:
l A friend
l Broom
Procedure:
Challenge your friend with this experiment—you’ll always win!
- Ask your pal to hold both hands straight out and grasp the broom.
- Place one of your hands in the center of the broom, with your arm bent at the elbow, grasping it with a slight downward tug. Tell your friend that you bet he or she can’t push you over with the broom.
- As your friend pushes the broom toward you, push straight up. You will remain standing in place.
This Is What Happens:
Even if your friend is bigger and stronger than you, you will always win because you have a hidden power. You have much more leverage—with one bent arm acting as a lever—than your friend has with two straight arms. A lever helps to lift weights with less effort, giving you a mechanical advantage. So the direction of your friend’s pushing force is easily offset by a much smaller force from you.
