Physics Question of the Day What range of fluid ounces in the can make this possible? Share this: Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Like Loading... 8 thoughts on “Physics Question of the Day” Add yours off the top of my head: until the liquid level on the left is hitting the cylinder’s side. Reply There’s something very tangible about this answer… like “the can will topple over when something hits its sides” Reply Is the fluid Mercury? Reply no, its soda! 😉 Reply Which phenomenon am I supposed to attend to? The balancing or the reversal of the type? Reply the balancing… its interesting, because when it’s full of soda it doesn’t balance, and its when its empty it doesn’t balance. It’s only in a certain range that it will balance. I remember playing with this as a kid all the time. Reply Oh…and follow-up question…will the can fall over eventually as the CO2 escapes (thereby reducing the volume of the liquid?) Reply I tried this today with a Pepsi can. At about 32 mL of liquid, the can would no longer balance on its edge. Reply Leave a reply to Gary Heaton Cancel reply Δ
There’s something very tangible about this answer… like “the can will topple over when something hits its sides” Reply
the balancing… its interesting, because when it’s full of soda it doesn’t balance, and its when its empty it doesn’t balance. It’s only in a certain range that it will balance. I remember playing with this as a kid all the time. Reply
Oh…and follow-up question…will the can fall over eventually as the CO2 escapes (thereby reducing the volume of the liquid?) Reply
I tried this today with a Pepsi can. At about 32 mL of liquid, the can would no longer balance on its edge. Reply
Teach. Brian. Teach. 
off the top of my head: until the liquid level on the left is hitting the cylinder’s side.
There’s something very tangible about this answer… like “the can will topple over when something hits its sides”
Is the fluid Mercury?
no, its soda! 😉
Which phenomenon am I supposed to attend to? The balancing or the reversal of the type?
the balancing… its interesting, because when it’s full of soda it doesn’t balance, and its when its empty it doesn’t balance. It’s only in a certain range that it will balance. I remember playing with this as a kid all the time.
Oh…and follow-up question…will the can fall over eventually as the CO2 escapes (thereby reducing the volume of the liquid?)
I tried this today with a Pepsi can. At about 32 mL of liquid, the can would no longer balance on its edge.