Nanyo NHS Science Club

Introduction

In this activity, students are challenged to design and construct model tower out of 1 sheet of paper. They are given limited supplies including paper, tape and scissors, paralleling the real-world limitations faced by engineers, such as economic restrictions as to how much material can be used in a structure. Students aim to build their towers for height and stability.

OBJECTIVE

At the end of this activity, students must be able to build the tallest tower possible using only 1 sheet of paper.

MATERIALS

1 a4 size sheet of paper

Scotch Tape

Scissor

GUIDELINES:

This is a group activity.
Give each group a piece of scrap paper to plan out their design and allow 5-10 minutes planning time.
Once all groups have completed a plan, distribute the paper, scissors, and scotch tape.
Give each group 40 minutes in constructing the tower.
Once time is up, groups must move away from their tower so that it can be judged.
The group with the tallest tower that is freely standing wins.

DOCUMENTATION

The making of their paper tower.

The groups that won the tallest paper tower challenge.

SCIENCE BITS

The most important part of the tower is the base, and although there are several approaches to constructing it, the most stable structure is an equilateral tripod. Because it distributes the load symmetrically, the tripod resists tipping better than a flat piece of paper. The tripod also adds height to the tower.

After you constructed the base, use the rest of the paper you have for the tower itself. If you're going for maximum height, you'll want to create the smallest possible base, but don't sacrifice stability for economy or the tower may not be able to withstand even a gentle breeze.

Source: https://sciencing.com/make-out-one-piece-paper-6284616.html