Why can you balance two forks on a toothpick?
The center of gravity in the balancing fork is directly below the spot where the toothpick rests on the rim of the glass. So, the center of gravity is directly below the point where the toothpick is balanced (called the pivot point).
Why do things balance?
Any forces on the object are balanced by forces in the opposite direction. The centre of gravity is the average position of the force of gravity on an object. An object can be balanced if it’s supported directly under its centre of gravity.
What do you do if your toothpick doesn’t come out?
If you’re testing cake with a toothpick, it should come out very clean; no sign of batter or wet crumbs. If there’s runny batter, it definitely needs to cook more cooking time. Mostly to 1/2 covered, still needs more time.
Can you balance a toothpick?
Work the toothpick into the tines of the fork. Carefully set the toothpick on the rim of the glass. Slowly slide it in or out across the rim until you’ve found the best balance point. Both handles will be curving downward below the rim of the glass and the toothpick will be almost horizontal.
How the spoon and fork could be balanced over a match stick?
The match-stick should be in the same plane with normal axis of the handle of the spoon and fork. Adjust the angle between fork and match-stick, as the fork is above the glass. Once the spoon and fork are in balance on the glass rim, burn the end of the match-stick inside the glass.
How does a balancing toy work?
With balancing toys, stability is built in. If the toys are tipped in any direction, the center of gravity is raised. This results in gravity exerting a restoring force (actually a torque), which pulls it back towards an upright position.
How do you balance a fork and toothpick on a glass?
If you place that bit of the toothpick on the rim of the glass, and eveything is wedged together securely, then you’re supporting the forks-and-toothpick object from a point directly under its center of mass, and it should balance there happily. So shouldn’t burning half of the toothpick away shift the center of mass?
What is the best way to balance a fork and spoon?
Pretty much any of the pointy toothpicks, or the ones with the end and one point is ok. So, your bet is that you can balance the fork and the spoon, using the toothpick, on the edge of the glass. Ok, you can balance them on the edge of the glass.
What would happen if you took a half of a toothpick?
Each of those forks has a mass of about 35 grams, while the toothpick has a mass of less than one gram. Losing half of the toothpick probably shifts the center of mass toward the tines of the forks by a hundred microns or so, but that’s almost certainly less than the width of the rim on the glass, so it won’t make a difference in the balance.
Does a toothpick weigh the same as a fork?
Yes, but by a trivial amount. Each of those forks has a mass of about 35 grams, while the toothpick has a mass of less than one gram.