June 30 - December, 2007

This highly interactive exhibit challenges visitors to experiment with physical science principles of sound, magnetism, motion, balance, energy transfer and simple machines.

Visitor experiences and science topics include: “Catapults” (Simple Machines) – Experiment using two catapults with different lever lengths to hit multiple targets; “Pulley Up” (Simple Machines, Mathematics) – Use a series of block and tackle set-ups to lift 30 pounds of brightly colored bowling balls, and find out how the pulleys influence your success; “Spin Thing” (Magnetism, Energy Transfer Chaos) – Spin one magnet rimmed wheel, and see the adjacent one react like a chaotic pendulum; “B-B-Bounce” (Energy Transfer) – Raise and drop three small balls simultaneously on a cable and use transferred energy to shoot the small (top) ball up to 10 feet high; “Pipes of Pan” (Sound, Resonance) – Hit the ends of a giant Pan Pipe with paddles and play a tune; “Ping-Pong Plumbing” (Forces, Motion and Engineering) – Create your own maze, arrange pipes on the wall with VELCRO and drop in ping pong balls to travel the course; “Angular Momentum” (Forces and Motion) – Stand and spin on a disk mounted on a raised, padded platform, alone or with a partner.

“This educational show will give children and their families a fun, hands-on experience, that makes the principles of science memorable,” said Michael Feyers, Science Curator of the Reading Public Museum. “It’s a great way to learn.”

ZING! is produced by the Carnegie Science Center, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, dedicated to inspiring learning and curiosity by connecting science and technology with everyday life.

This exhibition is underwritten in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Open during regular Museum hours.