Do you think a single sheet of paper can hold up a book? What about 5 books or even 10, 20, or 30 books? When we think about paper, we may think about how easy it is to tear it, crumple it, and bend it without much effort or strength.
In this At-Home Science experiment, aired on WJLA’s “Outside the Classroom” on May 8, 2020, Learning Undefeated Education Director Joe Wilkerson demonstrates how, when you think like an engineer, anything is possible. This activity teaches about the strength of various geometric shapes by testing how much weight different shaped paper columns can hold.
Check out our At-Home Science page for full instructions and a downloadable laboratory protocol for this experiment!
