For you to do
You'll cut out a shape — a bird, a star, anything — and get it to balance on the tip of a pencil by taping weights in clever spots.
Grown-up help
All on your own.
Make it
- Cut a shape out of cardboard, about the size of your hand.
- Try to balance it on the pencil tip. It probably tips over — that's expected.
- Tape a coin near one edge and try again. Move the coins around until it balances.
What's happening
Push further
Can you make your shape balance tilted to one side on purpose? Where does the weight have to go?
Every object balances around its **center of gravity** — the average spot of all its weight. When you add coins low and to the sides, you pull that point right under the pencil, and the shape becomes stable. Tightrope walkers use a long, drooping pole for exactly this reason.