Paper Bridge Challenge | Science of Strong Shapes

Can you create a strong bridge with just a sheet of paper? Explore what makes the triangle a strong shape!

[eroiabarone-nugent]

This is a really interesting demonstration which actually generates lots of questioning and questions. An audience may challenge you about circles (one interesting primary school activity is to make bridges with paper straws - so the question of why circles couldn't be just as strong would come up, or the ideal of lots of little paper box shapes. Another challenge you may face from an audience is that the timber shapes with the bolts were screwed at different tightness (I don't think you did that)- so it might be an idea to point out a few things about your set up and even leave some as rhetorical questions for the audience to investigate. I especially think that this idea has real merit from the maths point of view - e.g. if the folded paper is strong then how many folds will hold different weights. This could provide a numerically based activity, with prediction included as an extension of this demonstration, thus providing an activity that would be appropriate for different audiences.

[AaryanNadeem-rwvm]

Hello thx alought i forgot i hade a project due the next day and this vid helped me construct the bridge 🙏😊.

[xd_jokz]

Thank you for the tips it helped me alot with my project 👍👍👍

[meherbagchi]

This is actually a brilliant video thank you. Young me would learn so much better

[lavasqrl]

Thank you, I'm hoping this will help me with my school project (it has to hold 8.8oz.)

[lavasqrl]

Thank you, I'm hoping this will help me with my school project (it has to hold 8.8oz.)