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Here's
an easy way to find the center of gravity of a long, thin object,
even if the object’s weight is unevenly distributed.
This exhibit uses a cane or walking stick that is heavier at one
end. Supporting the stick by resting each of its ends on a finger,
the visitor slowly slides the fingers together until they meet.
The fingers will meet under the stick’s center of gravity.
The stick’s center of gravity is the place where it can be
balanced on just one finger. When the stick is supported with
two fingers, in general, one finger (the one that is closer to
the center of gravity) will be holding a little more of the weight
than the other. As the fingers are drawn closer together, the
one that is carrying less weight will slide more easily. This
finger will continue to slide more easily until it gets closer
to the center of gravity than the other finger, at which point
the situation will reverse and the other finger will begin to
slide faster. The left and right fingers simply alternate moving
until they meet at the center of gravity, where both fingers support
equal weight.
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