|
Star Scraper
Today's
engineers envision buildings in the 22nd century that are 300 stories high.
As buildings grow taller, the ground beneath them becomes less dependable as an
anchor. How can this stability problem be solved?
What you
need:
- drinking straws
- sticky tape
- gelatin
- soup bowl
- non-stick cooking spray
- cooler
Directions:
- Prepare a packet of
gelatin according to directions and pout it into a soup bowl that's been
sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to set.
- When set, invert the bowl
on a plate to produce a gelatin mound. This becomes the "ground" for a
building.
- Build the tallest
structure you can using drinking straws and sticky tape. "Anchor" the
bottom in the gelatin. You may increase the height using any materials
you care to provide, but the bottom must be kept entirely within the gelatin.
- When the structure has
reached its final height subject it to an "earthquake." Wiggle the plate
back and forth quickly. Can the structure endure such a "natural
disaster"?
Activity
provided by
Needham Science Center
for National Engineers Week
|
