Piece image

On the Edge and At the Center (Centripetal Force)

Series: A Moment of Science
From: WFIU
Length: 00:02:02

2-minute science module. Read the full description.

Amosfacebookbanner_small The next time you're at a park, watch children playing on a merry-go-round and you'll notice that kids sitting in the center of the merry-go-round don't get as dizzy as those hanging on the edge.

That's because the inner ear helps you keep your balance, and when your inner ear is disturbed by a force such as spinning, you feel dizzy. Kids on the edge of the merry-go-round are experiencing greater force, and therefore are getting dizzier, than those at the center. Here's why.  More on this A Moment of Science...


To hear the full audio, sign up for a free PRX account or log in.

Also in the A Moment of Science series

Piece image

Why Wet Sand Sticks (00:02:02)
From: WFIU

2-minute science module.
Piece image

Squished by a Mountain (00:02:01)
From: WFIU

2-minute science module.
Piece image

The Greeks Knew The Earth Was Round Before Copernicus (00:02:02)
From: WFIU

2-minute science module.
Piece image

Gimme A Brake: How To Calculate Stopping Time And Distance (00:02:01)
From: WFIU

2-minute science module.
Piece image

Walkin' and Sloshin' (00:02:02)
From: WFIU

2-minute science module.
Piece image

How Ocean Waves Form (00:02:02)
From: WFIU

2-minute science module.
Piece image

Blueberry Brain Boost (00:02:02)
From: WFIU

2-minute science module.
Piece image

Hot and Bothered Fish (00:02:02)
From: WFIU

2-minute science module.
Piece image

Big Kid, Little Kid: The Center Of Mass On A Seesaw (00:02:02)
From: WFIU

2-minute science module.
Piece image

Bored to Death (00:02:02)
From: WFIU

2-minute science module.

Piece Description

The next time you're at a park, watch children playing on a merry-go-round and you'll notice that kids sitting in the center of the merry-go-round don't get as dizzy as those hanging on the edge.

That's because the inner ear helps you keep your balance, and when your inner ear is disturbed by a force such as spinning, you feel dizzy. Kids on the edge of the merry-go-round are experiencing greater force, and therefore are getting dizzier, than those at the center. Here's why.  More on this A Moment of Science...


Related Website

http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/centripetal-force-and-merry-go-rounds/