A bit of magic mixed with some science. Create a magical jumping bean that seems to move all by itself.
What you need:
- Marbles
- Aluminium foil or Easter egg wrappers
- Lunchbox or plastic container
What to do:
- Rip off a bit of foil about the length of your pointer finger and the width of about three fingers.
- Wrap the foil around your finger to make a cylinder. It should be a little bit wider than the marble.
- Pinch one end of the foil closed.
- Put the marble inside the foil cylinder and pinch the other end closed.
- Put your foil package inside the lunchbox and shake it vigorously. The foil will bash into the sides. This causes the marble to be bashed against the inside of the foil, making the ends smooth.
- Tilt the lunchbox slightly and watch your magical jumping bean move around on its own.
- Use different size marbles and different size pieces of foil to create more jumping beans. You can race them down a slope (the slope needs to have some friction on it, if it is too smooth, your “bean” will just slide).
What happens:
The marble is heavy and it can move around inside the foil package. When it is on a slope, it rolls to the bottom of the package. It keeps rolling and flips the “bean” over so the “bean” jumps around.