Testing the Strength of Paper (Testing Paper for Strength) - Science Project Ideas
Channel: Kids Fun Science
Date: 2021-02-17

Testing the Strength of Paper (Testing Paper for Strength) - Science Project Ideas
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Testing the Strength of Paper (Testing Paper for Strength) - Science Project Ideas
Did you know that the same sized piece of paper can hold different amounts of weight based on how it’s shaped?

Chapters
0:00 Kids Fun Science Intro
0:07 What you need
0:13 Explain different experiments
0:58 1st Experiment Strength of a paper bridge
3:39 2nd Experiment Strength of paper columns
5:29 Science Behind it
6:21 PLEASE LIKE & SUBSCRIBE

1st experiment Strength of a paper bridge

Take a couple books at each end and start with just the piece of paper laid over like a bridge.
Place you cup or jar on top of paper making a bridge. If the cup doesn't support the bridge? Then you need a cup that is lighter. Or fold the paper in half. Remember to make a prediction on how many marbles each bridge can hold?

Then take the paper and fold 1 inch (2.54 cm) segments the long way of the paper. Now see how many marbles the bridge can hold?  When I laid down the paper by it self, it could not hold one marble. When I folded the paper 12 times it was able to hold 57 marbles. Same piece of paper, but increased the weight the bridge could support by folding it. Be creative and see are there other ways to fold the paper to make the bridge stronger?

2nd Experiment Strength of a square, triangle and cylinder like a building

 Take a piece a paper, and make one of each (cylinder, square and triangle). Tape the ends so they stay in that shape. 

It's important to make sure the cylinder, square & triangle are flat and balanced on the top and bottom. If not, the books will tip over very quick. Make a prediction on how many books each one can support? 

Now start stacking books onto of your on the square? Predict how many books the square can hold? Then do the same for the triangle and then the cylinder.

TIP: make sure the books are balanced in the middle of the each column, if not they will tip over. 

Science Behind it
The shape of the column determines how the weight of the books on top is distributed. With a triangular or square-shaped column, the increasing weight is distributed to the corners or edges of the column. If the weight isn’t distributed evenly, the column will buckle and fall. A cylinder-shaped column can hold more weight because all parts of the column support the books equally.

Everyone is going to have different books, so to let you know how much I was able to stack here is the numbers. My books weighed 2.5 oz ( 72g) each. I was able to stack 25 books which equal to almost 4 lbs ( 1,800 g)

If you try this please let me know in the comments below how many marbles you were able to support on your bridge? How many books and the weight your columns could support?

This is also called: paper column challenge, paper column experiment, strongest paper structure
or the which pillar shape is the strongest