Clear Balloons Clear balloons to use for the Spinning Penny experiment and more! email to friend
print this page

Sturdy, clear balloons to use for the Spinning Penny experiment or fill the balloon with Styrofoam beads to make a static electricity detector! Contains 100 clear latex balloons, so plan to get a huge crowd of your students together and start spinning! The kids will love it, and they'll learn some important science principles at the same time. You provide the pennies; the Teacher's Guide is provided.

What's included?

• 100 High quality clear balloons
• Activity guide

How does it work?

Hold the balloon with two hands and make a swirling motion. Thanks to the laws of inertia and centripetal motion, the penny flips up on edge and spins around the inside of the balloon just like that motorcycle guy at the circus. It's science and it's amazing!

What does it teach?

The spinning penny science experiment is great to introduce kids to the laws of motion, inertia and force. When an object spins, a force is created which pulls the object outward, just as when you ride on a merry-go-round and feel yourself pulled toward the edge. Besides being pulled outward, as the penny spins, it pushes against the side of the balloon. At the same time, the balloon pushes back. This causes the penny to spin and move in a circular path.