Activity Name: Testing the Strength of a Column
Author: Adapted by Yoo Jin Chung and Kate Fraser
Adapted from: Introduction to Technology, Glencoe / McGraw-Hill,
2005 by Alan J. Pierce, Dennis Karwatka
Target Subject: Technology/Engineering
Purpose: To discover how much load can be carried by index cards
folded into various shapes, resembling columns.
Background Information: Columns of various shapes and sizes are
part of bridges, overpasses and other structures. Students with a
visual impairment can not easily observe whole columns of various
shapes and sizes. Some columns are like cylinders, others are box
shaped, and some are very wide others are narrow. The shape and
size of the column depend on the load they are expected to carry, as
the shape affects strength.
Preparation: Some students may benefit from practice in the folding
techniques prior to the activity. Some students with a visual
impairment may not be familiar with the shape of print letters. Paper
folds must be crisp and uniform. In advance of the activity identify a
method for recording data.
Materials: Index cards, one or two rubber bands, tape, light plastic or
paper cup, pennies, scale, plastic tub or tray
Procedure:
1. Fold an index card once vertically at the middle. The folded
card will now be shaped like a print letter “V”.
2. Fold another card vertically into three equal parts (make two
folds). The folded card will now be shaped like an uppercase
print “N”. Make sure you don’t fold the same way more than
once. Fold inward once, and outward once, to make it zigzag.
3. Next, zigzag-fold another card into the shape of an uppercase
print “M” (3 folds). Fold another card into a square (3 folds with
equal width, but fold it one way this time, instead of zigzagfolding).
4. Then, fold a card into a square shape, by creasing it into four
equal parts.
5. Finally, roll another card into a tube. If the paper won’t hold its
shape, put tape or rubber band on the card to hold the card into
the shape.
6. Weigh the cup on the scale. Then, weigh 10 pennies on the
scale. By doing this, you would be able to tell the weights of 1,
5, 20 pennies, etc, by multiplying or dividing.
7. Put the V-shaped card into a plastic tub standing vertically, with
the V-shape facing upwards. Carefully, put the cup on the top of
the folded card. You can put rubber band around the shape to
keep its shape.
8. Slowly, add pennies to the cup one by one. Keep track of how
many you have added. Eventually, the card won’t be able to
support the weights. It will collapse and scatter the pennies
inside the tub. What was the maximum amount of pennies that
the v-shaped column could withstand? Record your data.
9. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for all the other folded columns (N, M,
square, and tube). Record your data.
10.
Examine your data and answer the following questions:
 Which column, out of the 5, could carry the most weight? Why
do you think this happened?
 Did the tube carry more weight than the folded columns? Was
the square column stronger than the M-shaped column?
 If the heights of the column were shorter, do you think the
columns could have carried more weight? Why?
 What conclusions can you draw from this experiment?
Resources:
Pierce, Alan J. and Dennis Karwatka. Introduction to Technology,
Third Edition, The McGraw Hill Companies, 2005, pages 450 to 451.