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Susan Reslewic Keatley

Susan Reslewic Keatley

Writer. Author. Scientist. Curious Conversationalist.

Kids Discover: Newton’s First Law

May 27, 2018

Background and art note: Gertrude and Linus are in the kitchen. It is lunchtime. Gertrude is going to make lunch for Linus. Linus is in his high chair.

Linus: “Want egg salad.”
Gertrude: “Sure, Linus, I can make that for you.”
Art note: Gertrude looks at a bowl of eggs.
Gertrude: “You just take some eggs, and some mayo . . .” Art note: Gertrude slams the egg down hard on the counter and it breaks, leaking liquid egg white and yolk everywhere.
Gertrude: “Oh no!”
Linus: “Mess!”
Gertrude: “I thought these were all hard-cooked, but some aren’t. How can I find out which is which?”
Art note: Gertrude begins thinking. Thought bubbles come up over her head with all the things
she’s learning in school . . . math, music, plants, and the planets.

Gertrude: “I know! The planets! Linus, I learned in school that if a planet has a liquid core, it will wobble while it spins!
Art note: An illustration of this.
Gertrude: “Could that also be true for eggs? Let’s see.”
Art note: Gertrude lines up two eggs. She spins one, and it wobbles quite a bit. She spins another one, and that wobbles quite a bit too. She takes another one and spins it, it hardly wobbles at all.
Gertrude: Linus, I think this one is hard-cooked! It didn’t wobble!

…

(page 2 of 4)

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