Cone rolls uphill? ( Center of gravity demonstration )

Simple Science demonstration to demonstrate center of gravity.

Center of Gravity

The tape is rolling downhill and the funnel is rolling uphill?

The tape rolls downhill and the cone goes uphill Why? A couple of things are taking place. First, if you look at the two boards I have the angles in a v shape.

This allows the cone, or two funnels taped together to sit higher above the wood.

The center of gravity of the cone is higher than the board, so when I release the cone gravity is actually pulling the center of gravity downhill.

All objects behave as though their mass is concentrated at a point called their center of gravity.

Gravity is the force of attraction between two objects.

Gravity will act on the cone above as if its mass is concentrated at a point called it's center of gravity. The center of gravity is easy to imagine with a sphere like a ball because it is in the center.

However, where is the center of gravity of someone on a tightrope. The center of gravity will be right above the person's waist because there's more weight in the top half of their body than in the bottom half. If a tightrope walker can keep their center of gravity over the tightrope then they will not topple over.

The lower the center of gravity the more stable an object is.

Gravity is acting on the center of gravity of the cone which is found at the tip of the funnel.

Because the cone can roll the least resistant path is to lower its center of gravity and travel uphill.

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