Sense-a-Swap

A brown exhibit table with a steel mask with glowing eyes sitting on top, and a rectangular platform coming out of the statue's mouth. In the background is a fake stone wall with a blue, white and green information panel.
A brown exhibit table with a steel mask with glowing eyes sitting on top, and a rectangular platform coming out of the statue's mouth. In the background is a fake stone wall with a blue, white and green information panel.

Sensors detect force exerted by a weighted object.

How it works

Swap a 'diamond' sitting on a pressure sensor with a bag of sand, so you don't wake the statue.

Things to try or ask around the exhibit

How can you swap the treasure with a bag of sand without waking the statue?

Background

A sensor in front of the statue measures pressure or changes in force pressing on the platform. To avoid detection, the same amount of pressure must be applied to the platform, so the sensor does not detect any changes in pressure.

Sensors are used to measure changes in their environment, such as heat or movement. Once the sensor is stimulated by a change in the environment, it can generate a signal to trigger a response from an alarm system, or an air conditioning unit.

Finding the science in your world

Human bodies have many nerve sensors that detect changes in the environment. Pressure sensors or receptors in human skin respond to touch and allow the body to respond to (or ignore) contact with items, to keep the body safe and comfortable.

On Display