Build and Test Paper Bridges
Bridges are as diverse as the people and places they connect. Some bridges are strong enough to support the weight of cars, and some are built just for people and pets to walk across. But what determines a bridge’s strength? Investigate by constructing paper bridges and testing their weight limits with pennies.
Materials
Directions
Before you begin building, talk about bridges you and your child have seen, read about, or crossed together. What do they look like? What are they made of? Can some hold more weight than others?
To start building, make two stacks of books of equal height. Place them 3 inches apart from each other.
Lay a piece of paper across the top of the two piles, making a bridge.
Place pennies on the bridge, one at a time, until the bridge collapses. Count the number of pennies it took to collapse the bridge.
Test the various bridges’ strengths by seeing how many pennies it takes for the bridges to collapse.
Repeat the process with different bridges. Try folding the paper in half and repeating the experiment. You can also try folding it like an accordion or taping the ends of the paper bridge to the books. Make predictions about how many pennies the new bridges will hold.
Discuss the results: What happens to each bridge as you add more and more pennies? Which bridge fold was the strongest?
Explore Further: Try building bridges using different materials like cardstock, cardboard, or foam core. Or, challenge your child to create a bridge that holds more than 100 pennies.
Math
Science