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Everyday Machines / Week 05 / Tuesday
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Week 05 · The Toilet

Tuesday

Gravity pulls down
// A tank, a flap, a float and gravity
⏱ about 15 min

Tuesday: Gravity Pulls Down

Rocket pours water from a high cup into a low bowl.

Splash! "It never goes up," he says.

Raven drops a sock. It lands on her foot.

"What do you notice about where things go?" she asks.

Nova hums. "Think about which way is down."

What gravity does

Gravity is a pull from the Earth.

It pulls things toward the center of the Earth.

That direction is what we call down.

Gravity keeps you on the ground.

Gravity makes things fall.

Gravity in the toilet

The tank is up high. The bowl is down low.

When the flapper lifts, gravity pulls the water down.

The water rushes fast into the bowl.

No motor is needed. Gravity does the work.

WHICH WAY?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which way does gravity pull?
Why is the toilet tank up high?
What keeps you on the ground?
Try it
Stand at the sink with a cup of water.
Pour the water into the sink from up high.
Watch where the water goes.
Now drop a sock. Which way does it go?
Safety first
Pour over the sink or a tray.
Wipe up splashes so nobody slips.
Drop soft things only, like a sock.
SentenceTrue or false?
Gravity pulls things down.?
Water poured from a cup goes up.?
Down points toward the center of the Earth.?
The toilet needs a motor to move the water.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEGravity pulls down everywhere on Earth, even in a toilet tank.
WATER GOES DOWN
  • Tap a card.
  • Then tap its spot.
1First
2Next
3Then
4Last
GRAVITY CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Rocket poured from a high cup. Where did the water go?
A ball rolls off a table. What happens next?
Draw the tank up high and the bowl down low. Add an arrow for gravity.

You found the force behind the flush!

Tomorrow, a grown-up lifts the tank lid.

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