Classroom mode

Run it in class

Why can a tiny kid lift a giant grown-up on a seesaw?

Show of hands — before you project anything

Predict before testing: with the pivot in the middle, who sinks — the heavy rider or the light one? Then explain why distance changes the answer.

  • A Way more than you'd guess
  • B About what you'd guess
  • C Way less than you'd guess

Count the votes out loud. Hold them to it — then watch.

Project it (fullscreen)

Discussion prompts

  • Predict before testing: with the pivot in the middle, who sinks — the heavy rider or the light one? Then explain why distance changes the answer.
  • Two things change at once when you slide the pivot toward the heavy rider. Name both, and predict how each one helps the lighter rider.
  • The kid lifts the giant but moves a long way to do it. Predict whether the work (force times distance) is really the same on both sides, then check.

Where it shows up in real life

  • A playground seesaw with a heavier friend or sibling
  • A door that swings easily when you push at the handle but barely budges near the hinges
  • A crowbar or wheelbarrow that turns a small push into a big lift

A prediction-first worksheet — no answer key.

zero prep · no login · any projector

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