Juniors in Ayelet Kopel’s physics class explored the center of mass last week. As a culmination of their unit on uniform circular motion and universal gravitation, students explored the importance of the center of mass principle in daily life. They watched a video of the “Fosbury Flop’’ which, using the science of center of mass, revolutionized the high jump in the Olympics. They discussed different SUVs and trucks and the importance of the location of center of mass to prevent the vehicles from flipping while making turns. They also built their own center of mass demonstrations using just a pencil and a paperclip.