Science Smarts: Brain teasers

By PATTY ROOKS on November 5, 2021.

I recently found my basket of ‘brain teasers’ the other day (I think someone hid them from me…)! You will find quite a few around my house, as I absolutely love the challenge, not to mention I think it keeps my mind sharp the older I get.

There are so many different kinds out there, and to be honest, they can be incredibly expensive. Luckily, you do not have to spend a great deal of money to make them right at home. A dear friend shared this one with me many years ago, and it can easily be made with some scraps you may have lying around the house.

Let’s get started!

Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

• Hammer

• Small piece of a 2×4 (10 cm long piece will work just fine)

• 13 large nails

• Sturdy table to work on (trust me, this is important)

Procedure

• Have an adult hammer one nail in the centre of your 2×4.

• It is now challenge time! Balance the 12 nails on top of the nail that has been driven into the wood. The nails can touch each other but must not touch the wood or anything else. Do not give up, a good scientist keeps trying!

What is going on?

You need to do a bit of thinking BEFORE you dive into this one.

The key here is to line up the nails BEFORE you try to balance them on the single nail in the wood. Lay one nail flat on the table. Take a second nail and place it on top perpendicular to the first one. Basically, the head of the second nail is against the shaft of the first. Lay the third nail perpendicular to the first, but in the opposite direction to the second. Continue alternating directions until 10 nails are lying on top of the first nail, five shafts pointed in each direction.

Take the remaining nail and place it on top of the 10, parallel to the first you placed, but in the opposite direction.

Using both hands, hold it firmly on each end pinching all of the nails together.

Carefully pick up the entire set. Hover you “package of nails” above the single nail in the 2×4 and gently balance it over top. Step back and allow the package of nails to balance on the single nail you hammered into the 2×4. WOW!

Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. We are located at #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403.527.5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca.

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