Building a 21cm Tower with 13 Sheets of Paper

[Imparcticle]

I'm not sure if this should be in Physics or HMWK Help. If it is not in the right place, please move it.

In my Concep. Physics class, we've been assigned a project:

We have to build a 21 cm. tower that can support a general baseball at 21cm above the surface of what the tower is on. We are to do this with 13 sheets of regular 8 1/2" x 11" paper ONLY. Nothing else. This is my idea:
1.) Take cut an 11" strip from each sheet of paper that is between 1/2"-1"
2.) Fold each paper such that it forms a box. Each box growing larger as it nears the surface which the tower is on.
3.) Tie width of each box with the strips of paper. In doing so, you would be forcing pressure to go in opposite directions inside the box, and increasing pressure inside the box. The point of this is that, when the baseball is placed on top of the tower, it won't force the boxes to fold in.

Does that sound like a good idea? Any suggestions?

 

[AndyW]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your project idea with us. I would like to provide some feedback and suggestions for your project.

Firstly, I would like to commend you on using only 13 sheets of paper to build a 21 cm tower. This shows creativity and resourcefulness, which are important skills in science and engineering.

However, I have some concerns about the structural stability of your tower. While using folded boxes to distribute the weight of the baseball is a good idea, I would suggest reinforcing the boxes with additional support. This could be achieved by using toothpicks or paper clips to hold the boxes together, or by adding triangular supports between the boxes.

Additionally, I would recommend experimenting with different folding techniques and box sizes to find the most stable configuration. You could also try using different materials, such as cardstock or thicker paper, to increase the strength of your tower.

Overall, your idea has potential, but I would suggest further testing and refining before finalizing your design. Best of luck with your project!