EXPERIMENT

Finding out how the centre of gravity and base area affect the stability of objects

1) Hypothesis
The lower the centre of gravity, the more stable the object

2) Materials / apparatus:
Palsticine, matchsticks, wooden plank and scissors

3) Procedure

• Models P, Q and R are built by using 100g plasticine and four matchsticks each.
• The matchsticks are stacked to plasticines.
• The three models are placed on a wooden plank.
• One end of the wooden plank is slowly lifted up and the sequence in which the models
  topple is observed.

4) i. Observation

• Model R, which is the tallest, topples first. This is followed by model Q and finally model P.

ii. Inference

• Model P is the most stable, followed by model Q. Model R is the least stable.

5) Discussion:

• In this experiment, the position of the centre of gravity is manipulated by varying the
  height of the models. The shorter the model, the lower the centre of gravity.
• Therefore, model P has the lowest centre of gravity, followed by model Q and finally model R.

6) Conclusion:
The lower the centre of gravity, the more stable the model. The hypothesis is accepted.