Heavy for its size
The question
Which is heavier: things made of metal, rock, wood or plastic, if they are all the same size?
Iron meteorites are mostly metal, so they feel far heavier than an ordinary stone of the same size. Finding a stone that is "too heavy" is one of the first clues a meteorite hunter looks for.
Equipment
- Four or five things about the same size made of different materials: a metal nut or bolt, a pebble, a wooden block, a plastic brick, a ball of cotton wool
- A kitchen balance or a homemade coat-hanger balance with two cups
Method
- Hold two things, one in each hand, and guess which is heavier.
- Check on the balance: the side that goes down is heavier.
- Compare every pair, then line everything up from heaviest to lightest.
- What to measure
- Which side of the balance goes down for each pair, or the weight in grams on a kitchen scale.
- How to present it
- A photo or drawing of your objects in a line from heaviest to lightest, labelled with what each is made of.
- Take it further
- Try a big object and a small one of different materials. Is a big thing always heavier? Why do we need things to be the same size for a fair test?
Safety
Use objects too big to swallow, and keep heavy things on the table.