This term we have looked at what makes a structure stable and strong. Using play dough to create triangular pyramids, cubes and spheres we tested stability on an increasingly uneven surface. The shapes with wide, flat bases and that were shorter were more stable.
Using paper made into a cylinder, triangular prism and cuboid we tested the strength by laying books on top. Most predicted the cuboid would be the strongest but it surprised a lot of us that the cylinder was the strongest holding over 70 books.
We decided the cylinder, which shares its weight around the whole base, rather than at the corners, would be the shape to make our structure out of.
Next step – make Baby Bear’s Chair…
