The Digital Bits Science Labs are fun science experiments for young children. Kids, make sure you have an adult's permission before trying any of these science experiments.
Digital Bits Science Lab
Science Experiments for Kids, Parents and Teachers
Levitate your arm with muscle memory
Description:
A simple demonstation of “muscle memory” and the subconscious actions of our body.
Equipment Needed:
You
A doorframe or wall
The Digital Bits Science Lab Experiment:
This experiment will assume you’re standing in a doorframe, but really the experiment will work fine with any heavy, large object.
Stand inside the doorframe. Stand normally, but stand so that one arm is directly against the wall. Push outward – away from your body – with your wall-touching arm, as if you wanted to flap your arm. It will be stopped by the doorframe, as in the picture below:
Now, keep pushing! And push some more! Count slowly to thirty, pushing your arm out against the wall the entire time.
Then, step away from the wall. Relax both your arms, and let them hang limp at your side.
But watch what happens: the arm you were pressing against the wall will start to rise!
What’s happening here? Your muscles have memory: when you press your arm against the wall for so long, your arm muscles get so used to pushing against the wall, they continue to push even after you’ve stepped away. And since your arm muscles are still pushing, your arm raises up into the air. Evenutally, your arm muscles will realize you are no longer pushing, and your arm will lower back down.
Other articles related to this topic:
- Learn about a compass and earth’s magnetic poles
- Build a balloon-powered mini-hovercraft
- Why does a boat float? Experiment with buoyancy.
- Open your fingers and try to drop something: experiment with the body and its limitations
- Pick up thousands of rice grains with a pencil
Got any more muscle memory tricks like this?
Not as of this writing. But feel free to suggest some, and I’ll write more labs about them.