Simple Engineering: Engineering Change at Duke University

Date: February 29, 2008

Challenge Name: Leap of Faith

Location: Twinnies Café

Picture Gallery

Problem Statement:

Support a weight in the center of the provided base. The structure that supports the most weight without failure is the winner.

Materials:

• 1 box of straws

• 1 roll of tape

• 1 base

Fine print:

• The gap across the base is 12 inches wide.

• The straws are about 6 inches long.

• You may only tape to the base provided to you.

• You may not tape to the bottom of the base, and your structure must not touch the bottom of the base.

• Your structure must support a 2x4 square (3.5” by 3.5”) horizontally in the center of the structure as the weights will be added to a cup placed on said piece of 2x4 square.

• The 2x4 square cannot be taped to your structure.

• For weight, small glass pebbles will be placed into a clear plastic cup on top of the 2x4 square.

• The weights will be dropped into the measuring cup one pebble at a time.

• Your structure will have failed once the cup falls off the structure or once any part of your structure touches the bottom of the base.

The winners