Cylinders: Shapes and Strength (Short)
Students test the strength of different shaped paper cylinders.
What You Need
Materials per student
- 6 sheets of printer paper
- 2 sheets of cardstock
- Tape
- Scissors
- Ruler (optional)
Guide:
Safety Notes
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What To Do
To create the shapes, each student will:
- Make a square-shaped pillar by folding one sheet of printer paper in half (lengthwise) twice and taping it so that there is a square at either end.
- Make a triangle-shaped pillar by folding one sheet of printer paper into three equal parts (lengthwise) and taping it so that there is a triangle at either end.
- Make a circle-shaped pillar (cylinder) by rolling one sheet of printer paper and taping it so that there is a circle at either end.
Now students can take a light book and place it on top of each shape. What happens to each shape? Which is the strongest shape?
Challenge: Make the strongest set of four pillars possible - they must be able to hold at least 5 books. Students can use the remaining paper and cardstock to create their pillars. They can also cut the paper or add sheets of paper together if they wish.
Discovery
Shapes and the size of materials are very important when making different structures. Shorter and thicker shapes are stronger because they will not bend as easily as longer, thinner shapes. Cylinders are often used in building stable structures because they able to carry the weight and distribute a force equally around the circle. Shapes such as triangles and squares are not as strong because the weight gets distributed to the corners.
What's Happening?
Shapes and the size of materials are very important when making different structures. Shorter and thicker shapes are stronger because they will not bend as easily as longer, thinner shapes. Cylinders are often used in building stable structures because they able to carry the weight and distribute a force equally around the circle. Shapes such as triangles and squares are not as strong because the weight gets distributed to the corners.