We’ve been experimenting with different 3D shapes to find out which one is the strongest.
Through our testing, we discovered that the cylinder was the strongest individual shape—it held an impressive 26 books before collapsing.
Next, we each built a cylinder, then combined our cylinders as a group to test if a team structure could hold more books than a single one.
Together, our group’s structure held over 50 books!
Then we took it a step further and combined all the cylinders from every group to build a superstructure. Amazingly, this superstructure supported more than 80 books.
From our investigation, we learned that a strong, stable structure usually has three important features:
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Low height
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Wide base
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Flat base
We also found that adding more cylinders helped distribute the weight more evenly, allowing the structure to hold significantly more books.
Help at home: Can you remember the three key features to create a stong, stable structure?