(no subject)

[dakegra]

Question from Miss LB (age six and nearly-a-half): What's gravity?

Followup question, for bonus points: How does it work?

The best answer (I may let her choose), will win A PRIZE.

Comments

[peeeeeeet.livejournal.com]

It is like MAGNETS only with BIG STUFF instead of METALS.

[maviscruet.livejournal.com]

I like this one...... better then anything I could come up with.

[isihac.livejournal.com]

I'll try and remember to ask the boy (5) that question in the morning - am intrigued to know his answer.

[isihac.livejournal.com]

"It's up, down, left and right. It's movement."

[isihac.livejournal.com]

Also, http://www.boingboing.net/2011/03/04/submit-your-question.html

[alibee.livejournal.com]

Do you want real answers or fun answers?

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

something which will keep Ms LB happy.

[veronikos.livejournal.com]

Love made visible in time and space.

[alicephilippa.livejournal.com]

Gravity is a lie. The Earth sucks.

[chiller.livejournal.com]

I would suspend a sheet from the four posts of the bed, or similar, and then roll a ball into the middle of it so it makes a dip. And then let her roll smaller or bigger balls across the sheet at different speeds and see what happens. Do they bump into the ball or go past it? What happens if you roll a heavier ball onto the sheet than the one that's already there? And explain that the planet is one of those balls and the moon is another one. And that the gravity of massive Jupiter protects us from space junk (you may need to roll a yoga ball onto the sheet at that point).

And then show her, when she's in the bath, how a floating toy will never stay on its own in open water, but will always move towards either her, or the side of the bath. And that in calm water the same thing happens with ships (providing they don't use their engines or sails) and they end up together.

As to what it is: that is her job to find out! Because nobody knows yet, which is why children are so brillz, because they can find these things out.

[(Anonymous)]

Gravitons. Then have her discover the damn things, win the Nobel Prize, profit!

sloopjonb