DID YOU KNOW there are many things you can do this winter that are both educational and fun without even leaving the warmth of your own home. Kids Korner will be focusing on some of those things over the course of the next few weeks.

Have you ever had a competition with one of your friends to see who was stronger then the other? Well, if you have not here is a little experiment for you to try and a way to impress your friends with your newfound strength.

Most people would think it to be impossible for a child to hold 100 pounds with only one hand however, if you hold out your hand palm up you have just completed the task. Why, you might ask? Well, you see that is the weight of air. Here is another little trick you can do for your friends and family.

You will need a sheet of newspaper, and a strong ruler. The wooden kind works the best.

Place the ruler on the table with one end over the edge. Cover the portion of the ruler with the newspaper. Tell your friend you are going to hold the paper there in the spot on the table with your mind and then ask your friend hit the free end of the ruler that is hanging off the table. The paper will not lift. In fact even if the both of you hit the ruler at the same time the paper still will not lift up and you might even break the ruler.

HOW THE RULER WORKS

The weight of the air passing down on the newspaper resists being squeezed up and suddenly and holds the ruler to the table. The pressure of air is about 15 pounds for every square inch on the table. It is hard to believe that air is that heavy.

Here is one more little experiment you can do with your friends. You will need an empty pop bottle and a balloon. Push the deflated balloon into the bottle and stretch the open end of the balloon back over the bottle’s mouth. Now challenge your fiends to be the first one to blow up the balloon. No matter how hard they try no one will be able to blow up the balloon.

HOW THE BALLOON WORKS

As you inflate the balloon, it takes up more space in the bottle. But, the bottle is already full of air. Even though you can not see it, air takes up space. When you try to inflate the balloon the air trapped inside the bottle prevents you from doing it.

So you see, even with these two little educational tricks you can make your winter a little more fun. If you have any questions or want to suggest some experiments of your own please drop me a line and leave a comment on the website. www.thenorthfieldnews.com