Physics Demo Number: 063

Approximate Run Time: 5 min

Leaning Tower of Pisa's Center of Mass

Demo Description

Use a break apart model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to change the center of mass and thus topple the tower.

Scientific Principles

A rigid body can stand in stable equilibrium only  if the plumb line from its center of mass falls inside the base of the body.

Equipment

• Model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Equipment Location

• The model is located in Kit (063) on [E-2-4]

Instructions

The photo shows the wooden model of the tower at Pisa, with the model's top section removed and sitting on the left of the tower.

When one inserts this top section into its matching cavity in the tower body, the entire tower will topple over.

Obviously the people in charge of the actual Tower might not want to add significantly heavier items at the top of their building, based on the results of our model.

Writeup created by David A. Burba

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