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Super Bridge
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Viewing Ideas
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Before Watching
Have students build a people bridge to experiment with the forces of
compression (a pushing, squeezing force), tension (a pulling force) and torsion
(a rotational, twisting force). Have pairs of students face each other with
palms touching and feet flat and about 0.5 m (1.5 ft) apart (see example). Have students slowly move their feet back while keeping their palms
touching until the bridge feels balanced and they cannot back up any further
without falling over. Where on the bridge do students feel forces of
compression and tension? Have one person move two steps to the left. What
happens to the balance of the bridge? How does torsion affect the stability of
the bridge? What forces might cause the support structure of a real bridge to
rotate?
After Watching
Ask students to recall what they remember most from the program. What is involved with building a bridge?
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