Pasta bridges and Kepler’s telescope
School name: Hudson High School
Project title: Pasta bridges and Kepler’s telescope
Activity description: Students performed this activity to demonstrate the dependence of the weight exerted by the tools on the flexibility of the bridge. They were able to build the Keplerian Telescope and derive the characteristics of the example given by it. It was demanded to point out the importance of the telescope in astronomy. Students presentation included the following topics:
- Tension– A force that acts to pull on opposite ends of an object
- The physics behind bridges
- Gravity
- Keplerian Telescope
- Astronomy
Fig.1 Shown here is a 3D model of a bridge made of pasta and strings. Students were asked to explain the bridge’s center of gravity which should be as close as possible to the supporting base.
Fig.2 Shown here is another example of a bridge that was made of small wooden pieces and glue. Students were asked to explain the forces that have an impact.
Fig.3 Shown here is the Keplerian telescope. Students were asked to explain how does it work and the role of its lenses.
