Tallest Tower!
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Do you have what it takes to build the tallest tower? Learn what traits make a tower a tower and put your building skills to the test against internal and external forces.
MATERIALS
- Any materials that would be useful for building a tower-like structure (e.g. stackable blocks [not LEGO®], books, aluminum foil, Play-Doh, plastic cups, newspaper, popsicle sticks, tape)
- A load to test your tower (such as a can of soup)
- A hair dryer
Tension and Compression!
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For a structure to stand the test of time, it has to be able to resist internal forces that act upon it. Investigate compression and tension forces and test how they affect building materials.
MATERIALS
- 6 to 7 Books (try to choose books that are similar in size)
- A ruler
- A pen or pencil
- Clay or play-dough
How to make homemade no-bake play-dough (if you don’t have clay or Play-Doh at home):
- 2 cups flour
- 1⁄2 cup salt
- 1 3⁄4 cups of warm water
- A bowl
- A wooden spoon
- Mix 2 cups of flour and 1⁄2 cup of salt in a large bowl.
- Add 1 and 3⁄4 cups of warm water to the flour/salt mixture. You can use a wooden spoon or you can mix with your hands. It may not seem like you have enough water, but you do.
- Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it on a flat surface. It might take up to 10 minutes of kneading until your dough feels right.
