🏗️ Paper Tower Challenge
Build the tallest freestanding tower using only 10 sheets of paper and tape — then test it with a book on top!
🧰 What you need
Safety note: Use scissors carefully — ask an adult if needed.
🔬 Steps
- 1
The challenge: build the tallest freestanding tower that can hold the book for 10 seconds using only your paper and tape.
- 2
Experiment with different designs: try rolling paper into a tube, folding it into a triangle column, or stacking flat sheets.
💡 Triangles and cylinders are the strongest shapes in engineering. Folding paper makes it much stiffer! - 3
Build your best design and measure its height in centimetres.
- 4
Gently place the book on top — does it hold? Time it for 10 seconds.
- 5
If it collapses, think about why — make it stronger and try again!
💡 A wider base makes any structure more stable — like how a pyramid never falls over.
🧠 The Science
Paper seems weak, but when folded or rolled into a cylinder, it can hold surprisingly heavy loads. Cylinders distribute weight evenly around their curved surface, making them very strong. Triangles are rigid shapes — they cannot be pushed out of shape without breaking. This is why bridges use triangular trusses and ancient buildings used arches (which act like two triangles). Engineers use these same principles to design skyscrapers, bridges, and aircraft!
📚 Related Lessons
- 🏃 Types of Motion — Straight, circular, back-and-forth, or random — motion comes in types.