Why Every Science Department Needs a Flying Pig

If there’s one physics demo that instantly sparks curiosity, delivers deep conceptual learning, and adds a touch of whimsy to your classroom—it’s the Flying Pig from Arbor Scientific.  Better yet? This one investment can be used across your science department.

From centripetal force to orbital mechanics, this deceptively simple device captures students' attention and supports a wide range of standards-based instruction. Whether you're teaching high school physics, AP Physics, chemistry, earth science, or even astronomy, the Flying Pig can bring your lessons to life.

Here’s how educators across disciplines use the Flying Pig to elevate their teaching—and why it deserves a permanent spot in your classroom.

the flying pig from Arbor Scientific

1. Teaching Circular Motion and Centripetal Force? This Is a Must-Have.

The Flying Pig is a go-to demo for illustrating circular motion and centripetal force. As it flaps its wings in a perfect circle, students can explore:

  • Why the pig moves in a circle
  • What would happen if the string were cut
  • Whether or not the pig is accelerating

Using the Flying Pig makes it easier to reinforce Newton's First Law and help students see that centripetal force isn’t a “new” force, but rather any force that keeps an object moving in a circular path. Plus, with energy bar charts and kinetic energy discussions, it’s a great visual for energy transfer too.

2. An Engaging Model for Orbital Mechanics and Astronomy

Share the investment between Physics and Earth and Space Science. The Flying Pig also functions as a classroom-friendly model for Kepler’s Laws, Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, and orbital motion. Representing planets orbiting the sun, it helps students explore concepts like:

  • Elliptical orbits and eccentricity
  • Conic sections (circles, ellipses, parabolas, hyperbolas)
  • Hohmann Transfers and orbital speed changes

You can even simulate artificial gravity with this little pig—bringing in real-world connections to astronaut training, amusement park rides, and fighter pilot G-forces.

Connecting the circular motion of the flying pig to orbits in earth and space science
Use the Flying Pig to help teach how electrons behave in the atomic model

3. Chemistry Connections? Yes, Really.

Chemistry teachers can also benefit from the Flying Pig. In a chemistry classroom, it’s a brilliant physical model for illustrating:

  • Rutherford's atomic model (electrons orbiting the nucleus)
  • Why Rutherford’s model was replaced by the Bohr model
  • Atomic radius trends on the periodic table (adding mass to the pig shortens its orbit—just like added protons shrink the radius)

That’s right—this pig even helps students understand atomic structure.

4. Perfect for All Levels of Physics

The Flying Pig grows with your curriculum. Here's how teachers incorporate it at different levels:

🔹 Conceptual Physics
Minimal math, maximum thinking. Use it to explore velocity, acceleration, energy transfer, and Newton’s laws.

🔹 High School Physics
Run open-ended experiments like calculating the pig’s speed or comparing circular motion to real-world scenarios.

🔹 Algebra-Based Physics & AP Physics 1
Dig into civil engineering concepts (safe curve speeds), explore banked curves, and model real-life forces using friction and tension.

🔹 AP Physics C: Mechanics
Explore the Flying Pig as a conical pendulum, connect to simple harmonic motion, and introduce small-angle approximations. Even use it to highlight where theoretical models break down due to real-world constraints like motor power.

The flying pig is durable and dependable

5. Budget-Friendly, Durable, and Seriously Fun

The Flying Pig meets every teacher’s checklist:

✅ Affordable
✅ Versatile across subjects and grade levels
✅ Durable enough for daily classroom use
✅ Easy to set up and store

Many educators report using the same pig for over 7 years, bringing it out across different units and courses again and again.

Bring Physics to Life with Arbor Scientific's Flying Pig

Whether you’re launching into a unit on motion, helping students visualize orbit mechanics, or just want to add a memorable and engaging demo to your classroom, the Flying Pig is an unbeatable investment.

Buy one for your classroom—or a class set—and let the learning take flight.

👉 Explore the Flying Pig on Arbor Scientific

Related Resources:

Flying Pig Educator Resource (Instructional Tips)

Flying Pig Video

Flying Pig Lab Activity (Student Worksheet)

Flying Pig Lab (Teacher Notes)