Balsa Tower
Don't forget to log every day with specific details about what you planned or accomplished.
Goal: To create a strong tower made of balsa wood and glue.
Artifacts: The tower that you have created and at least 2 pictures of the tower from different angles.
Artifacts to create:
A tower that has the following requirements:
The weight of the constructed tower does not exceed 40 grams.
Tower is 15½ to 16½ inches tall. It is constructed of only 1/8 by 1/8 balsa wood.
The tower can support 30 pounds of weight for one minute. Any visual failure of the tower is considered failure of the tower to support the weight. The teacher will be the judge of the successfulness of the tower.
Project Details to Know:
If you complete the tower before the end of the project, you may create a second tower.
You will use glue to build your tower, but you can choose the type of glue.
Accurate measurements are important to create successful towers.
We will use a weight lifting pole down the middle of your tower on which to put the weights for stability. You will need to include space to put the pole.
The height of the tower is what makes this project especially challenging.
Make sure to take pictures of the tower before the day of testing. We test until they break.
Your Project Plan should include an image or images of your plan for the structure of the tower that you will be creating.
Your Choice Writing link should be a link that describes successful building with balsa or ideas for towers.
Most of the tower challenges posted online are for 8 inch towers. They may still give you ideas to use to make your tower stronger.
There is a balsa box which holds the balsa cutter and scraps of 2 inch and longer balsa. The long balsa sticks are in the closet.
You SHOULD NOT pretend the balsa is a sword. It is too delicate to play with that way.