Trick: Challenge a friend to balance fourteen 16-penny common nails on the head
of another 16-penny nail.
Materials Needed: 1 piece of board (approximately 8" x 10"),
fifteen 16-penny common nails.
Preparation: Nail one of the 16-penny nails into the center of the board.
Lay out the other 14 nails nearby. See the pictures below:
Math Needed: This trick involves locating the center of gravity.
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After your friend has tried to balance the nails, you can show her how to do it.
Begin by placing one of the 14 nails down on a surface.
Then alternate placing the heads of 12 nails on either side of the first nail.
See the pictures below:
Then put the 14th nail on top of the 12 nails.
Carefully pick up the 14 nails (they will lock in place)
and place them on the nail that is hammered into the board.
