On this episode of For Science! we explore the building blocks of engineering by conducting the “Bridge Building” experiment which illustrates the different textile strength of different construction configurations.
We will build three different examples and test their strength using pennies but you can make as many different bridges as you would like and use any weighted item to test. But if you would like to recreate what we have done you will need:
- Two paper or plastic cups
- Pennies (10-20)
- Pair of Scissors
- Construction Paper (If possible, a different color for each bridge)
Cut and fold your construction paper into your desired bridge shape. For our experiment we utilized:
- Single Strip Bridge
- Collapsed Oval Bridge
- Accordion Bridge
Place cup close enough together that they can support your bridges.
Going one at a time, place your bridge on the cups. Before you begin your testing, make sure to ask your kids what they think the results will be.
Now, using the pennies, you will slowly stack as many onto the bridge as you can before it collapses.
Document your results and compare against your hypothesis.
Great job!! You learned about engineering while having some fun and you did it, For Science!