How to Make a Paper Clip Jump

Before there was mp3's, cell phones, Ipods, Apple products galore, and all other game items, we had to entertain ourselves rather than pay attention in class. The students of today have the greatest ability to not pay attention, but we had no other distraction except ourselves. So we came up with stuff we could build. A few of those things were mini-blow guns, sling shots out of paper clips, and paper clips that jumped that we called a grasshopper. This little thing, if built correctly can jump almost 6 feet, and it's a great toy to play with.

The first thing you're going to need is a paper clip. the larger the better, but all sizes of paper clips work.You need to bend the paper clip into a straight piece of metal. This is harder than it appears. Once you unbend the clip, there are multiple bent items. Do your best at fully unbending the clip. Then take the partially unbent paper clip and rub it against the side of a desk. Slowly it will become more and more straight,

Once you have it fully straight, figure 4 equal sections of the clip. All things can be split into three equal things, just mentally see that it can be split into four equal pieces. Now bend the paper clip into an equilateral triangle where one side has two pieces that over lap.This is the hardest part of making this. Be careful to make sure they are only bent once. When you're at this level of bent paper clips, they become very brittle, and a few wrong bends and they will break.

Take the two parts that are the same side, and pull them as far apart as you feel comfortable doing without destroying the integrity of the clip. Make sure that you do not pull them apart where it no longer looks like a triangle. Make sure you don't pull them so far apart that the upper section is pointing straight up. An optimum pull apart would be where the top one is at a 45 degree angle to the bottom.

Now push the two piece together, and balance the top one under the bottom one. A good way to do this is to push it together to the point that they meet. Then roll the top one under the bottom with your thumb and forefinger. This might take a minute, but after a bit you'll figure out how to go bout doing it.

Once you have successfully balanced them, drop the item onto the desk. The pressure of the two coming apart will make it jump and fly. Another way to use this is to carefully set it on a table, and tap the table. The jarring motion will cause it to fly in the air. Play with the construction till you've perfected it, this thing has the ability to fly about 8 feet in the air.