Water Balloons Test The Laws of Physics

Well now. If your physics education in high school involves trying to pummel your school principle with water balloons, do you think a lot more kids would be interested in learning physics? :)

That is what the students at this school did one day for the 2nd year.

Mark Heller calmly read a copy of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" as water balloons splashed around him. The head master at Academy at the Lakes, Heller, with his Panama hat, suit and bow tie, was sitting calmly in a row boat in the middle of a lake behind the private school on Collier Parkway.

About 100 meters away, teams of students from Roderic Brame's physics class were launching water balloons at him with a large sling shot fashioned out of a lacrosse goal. One shot after another went over Heller's head or splashed around the boat. Some balloons even burst before they got airborne.

A microphone attached to the lapel of his blazer, Heller occasionally glanced up from his reading to toss a barb back at the students. "It's really very nice out here," he said, as one errant balloon came semi-close to a flying bird before landing in the water at least 30 feet away. "I'm nice and dry."
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As one balloon after another missed the target, Heller baited the students, waving his oar like a baseball bat and commenting on his still-comfortable clothing.
Some teachers also took shots at the head master, but several had water balloons burst on them instead.

The supply of balloons finally exhausted, Heller rowed back to shore, climbed onto the dock and grinned triumphantly, his clothes, and his copy of "Tom Sawyer," as dry as when he entered the lake an hour earlier.

That's hysterical! And I definitely like the baiting part. It makes the kids really, really mad, and there's nothing to spur them to really want to get it done when they get mocked for not accomplishing something! :)

But hey, did they learn any physics though? :)

Zz.