Bottle Teaser
Principle:
This toy is based upon the principle of centripetal force.
Sketch:
Toy Interaction:
The goal of this teaser is to move the ball from the bottom of the bottle to the top without taking the cork out. This forces a person to be creative in that no matter how hard they try, they will not be successful if they try to just tip it. Above is a sketch of the different stages that have to be reached before moving on. The first three (Figures A, B, and C) all are fairly simple and just take patience to get the ball to the neck area. However, from here, the only way to get it into the top of the bottle is to place the bottle on its side either on a table or preferably the floor (so it won’t fall and break) and spin the bottle. The centripetal force pulls the ball into the top. This game is for children 10 and up (including adults) since a small child might not understand the concept of centripetal force yet.
Construction Cost, Durability and Safety:
The cost of construction is fairly inexpensive. The only materials you need are a standard sized bottle, an appropriately shaped wooden piece, a cork and a ball. Since the bottle will probably be made out of glass, it should be a type of glass that can withstand being dropped.
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