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Description

How strong is a piece of paper

Resources

• 3 pieces of paper, not card
• Stack of books
• Stapler with staples in it

Instructions

Aim: See how many books a folded page can hold before it collapses.
This activity is similar to experimenting with standing on a paper cup, and it could be used to fulfill Option 07 of the Ladybird Interest STEM badge.

Instructions
• Fold the three pieces of paper, one into a circle, one into a square and one into a triangle. Once the page is folded staple it a couple of times to ensure maximum sturdiness.
• Carefully place a book on top of the pieces of paper. Let the Ladybirds take turns at placing the books on top of one another.
• See how many books the page can hold before it collapses.

The science behind it:
The cylinder can support the most books because its walls don’t have any edges. The force of the books cannot become concentrated in a particular area, the load is distributed evenly. In other words, all parts of the cylinder are sharing the load of the books. All parts of the cylinder, therefore, contribute to its overall strength until, finally, it collapses.
The square and triangle deform more easily. They shift the weight of the books to their edges and corners which deforms their walls and leads to a quick collapse. They are unable to carry weight only at their edges.

Acknowledgement/Source
http://creeksidelearning.com/stem-activities-for-kids-how-strong-is-a-piece-of-paper/

Spring Trefoil News 2019

Attachments/Template needed for activity? None

Tags

• Books
• Building
• ladybird games for fun
• paper
• paper games
• science
• STEM
• Trefoil News Spring 2019

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