🍳 Inertia and mass – how to identify and observe it

Newton’s second law states that an object changes its speed and direction due to the action of force. It also says that the mass of the object resists changes in its speed and direction. 

So how inertia and mass of the objects are connected? Let’s find the answer together.

Ask your parents, grannies, bigger sister or brother, or any other older relatives to help you with these activities below.

💡 Observation

You need a small metal tray (platter, salver, waiter), an egg, a glass of water, an empty roll of toilet paper, and an empty table.

Place the glass of water on the table. Then place the tray on the glass of water. Now place the empty roll in the middle of the tray and place the egg on the top of the roll.

Hit the tray hard with your hand on the side so that you knock it down. The goal is to throw down the tray but keep the cup upright.

What happened to the tray and the roll? What happened to the egg? Did the egg fall into the cup?

If the egg has not fallen into the cup, try arranging the items in the same order again and try again.

Did it work now? Well done!

Why did this happen? Because inertia intervened, as did the mass of the objects.

After hitting the tray, the tray accelerated and transferred to the empty roll the energy it had received on the impact. As a result, they both flew to the sides, in the opposite direction to the direction of the punch on the tray. The greater the mass of the object is, the greater the force is required to manifest its acceleration. Heavier objects are harder to move than lighter ones. For this reason, the egg hung in the air for a split second (after the tray was hit), then fell into the glass of water, pulled by gravity.

Newton’s second law – read more.