TumblingTower

Tumbling Tower % An activity adapted from the book, Family Engineering: An Activity Event Planning Guide, by Mia Jackson, David Heil, Joan Chadde, and Neil Hutzler The Power of Afté}:;chool" and the Future of Learnmg A Nebraskd Af‘[erSGhooIIConferenc September 28, 2012 Planning and Implementing Family Science Events : Presented by Kathryn Phillips Curriculum Specialist, Lincoln Community Learning Centers

TUMBLING TOWER Engineering Fields civil engineering Engineering Concepts & Shills role of failure modeling Supplies 14 empty toilet paper tubes of the same length 3 squares of 12" x 12" corrugated cardboard Tumbling Tower activity sign (Appendix A) How do engineers keep tall structures from tumbling? Activity Steps 1. 2. Use 14 tubes and 3 cardboard squares to build this tower. 2 tubes 3 tubes 4 tubes 5 tubes Following the rules below, take turns removing one tube at a time from the tower without letting the 3 cardboard platforms fall. You may use both hands. You may touch the cardboard platforms only when removing or moving a tube. You may change the position of the remaining tubes. What steps did you take to keep the tower from tumbling? Why did the tower eventually fall? % ENGINEERING CONNECTION Engineers often test a structure’s strength until it fails and then try to figure out why the failure happened. The weight that a structure supports is called its load. In order for a structure to be stable, the load must be balanced. If a structure is changed in some way, the load may need to be rebalanced to maintain stability. i 2 e R R i A A S S e R POV Rl S T T8 LA e () PN S 76 Openers FAMILY ENGINEERING

Engineers often test a structure’s strength until it fails and then try to figure out why the failure happened. The weight that a structure supports is called its load. In order for a structure to be stable, the load must be balanced. If a structure is changed in some way, the load may need to be rebalanced to maintain stability. % ENGINEERING CONNECTION + e ‘3*_:35-:\&5:4-:@-:;:«;-’;&,';-71_. i 25 b e 'h%"‘ By © 2011 Family Engineering