Centre of mass

A cone is glued to a hemisphere. When you place it on a table in what position does it come to rest?

Bricks are 20cm long and 10cm high. How high could an arch be built without mortar on a flat horizontal surface, to overhang by 1 metre? How big an overhang is it possible to make like this?

Exploring balance and centres of mass can be great fun. The resulting structures can seem impossible. Here are some images to encourage you to experiment with non-breakable objects of your own.

Invent shapes with different numbers of stable and unstable equilibrium points

Consider the mechanics of pole vaulting