Science Toy V (Toothpick - Popsicle stick bridge)

[Reebs]

Science Toy V (Toothpick - Popsicle stick bridge)
Here are some pictures of something I welded up for class. The challenge is for the kids to build a bridge to cross a 10” span with 80 toothpicks and 20 popsicle sticks. I will then hang weights on each bridge to see which is the strongest. The winning weight 87.5 pounds. I was impressed, the kids had fun and it makes a hell off a noise when it all falls to the ground.
reber

[blackdoggy]

Neat arts and crafts and engineering in one class .

[SWells]

Good job Reebs, pat yourself on the back for me. I wish I had teachers like you when I was in school.

[737mechanic]

That looks good. What grade are the kids in. The reason I ask is I saw a video the other day that shows I think a college class making a similar bridge out of paper and doing about the same thing. There weight platform isn't near as good as what you built though.
I posted the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtUZcIDrwoo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtUZcIDrwoo

[zapster]

Thats neat!!

Just a slight on the overkill side but what the hay...

...zap!

[Reebs]

737 mechanic That is crazy! 1,000+ lbs

Thanks for all the compliments it was a fun easy build. What I like is I can break it down so it takes up almost no room.
reber

[Reebs]

737 mechanic That is crazy! 1,000+ lbs. I teach 8th graders. Hormones with feet.

Thanks for all the compliments it was a fun easy build. What I like is I can break it down so it takes up almost no room.
reber

[tanky321]

Thats awesome!

This past semester in my statics class we had a similar task. We had to build a truss out of no more than 25 popsicle sticks.It could be a bridge design, or just a 2d truss.
We used a huge hydraulic press that is used for testing material compression strengths.

In my class the record was 300lbs I think. The record in my school was 2000+ lbs I believe. Apparently the kid make pin joints out of strips of wood and what not. Its insane!


Great job!!

[Reebs]

Update
The 7th graders just built bridges the winning bridge help 145lbs (that is all the weight)
I changed a few rules from last year. They get 50 popsicle sticks and no toothpicks.

[johnmartin22]

Wow thats great ,,,Its really appreciable ...once visit this site ...
incrediblescience.com/
Here you can find out some info and ideas regarding science projects and you can get some science toys and educational toys ....

[BigMike]

back in 1990 when i was in high school we made bridges too. my teacher gave us all these balsa sticks to use and a pack of toothpicks to use in case we needed more wood.

I traded my nice long balsa sticks for another groups toothpicks (maple) and built my bridge totally out of toothpicks. I also completely coated the bridge with wood glue.

I don't recall how much it held but they ran out of weights and started using metal scraps in cans from the metal shop until it eventually failed.

[homegrownrmk]

Where did you go to school BigMike? Cause my bridge design back in high school around 1990 came in a close second to a team that "covered" their bridge with wood glue AND rubber cement. The bridge didn't break so to say, it bent and folded till the weights hit the ground. Our teacher at the time also added in a price to the toothpicks and glue that we used, so we could get a theoretical cost of the bridge added in on the final grade.

[ibcrusn]

I remember a similar project in my 8th grade shop class. Students teamed up with 100 wood coffee stir sticks and a hot glue gun. Not unlike most classes the capacity rangeed from nearly zero to around 200lbs. As most classes go we had one prodigy who insisted on working alone and did all his work at home which supported a ridiclous amount of weight (approaching 1000lbs). No idea if he had help but he was a bright kid and ended up going to college for some flavor of engineering.