CENTRIPETAL FORCE: BUCKET OF WATER
EQUIPMENT
Small Blue Bucket ¼ - ½ Filled with Water
NARRATIVE
This is used to
demonstrate the centripetal force of the rotating bucket on the water. Fill the bucket
between ¼ and ½ full of water. Swing the bucket in a circle at an angular
velocity sufficient to keep the water in the bucket. To add a little humor to the
demonstration, you can fill a similar blue bucket with confetti and do a quick switch at
some appropriate time. Then you can throw the contents at them, while they still believe
that the bucket contains water.