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Science Engineering Project Worksheet

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Science Engineering Project Worksheet

Design, build, and test a paper bridge that spans a 20 cm gap and holds as many identical coins as possible. Use the engineering design process: ask, imagine, plan, create, test, and improve. Work safely: keep coins away from your mouth, use scissors carefully, and ask an adult before using any tool that could cause injury.

Plan and Predict

Use the challenge above to plan a fair test. Keep the gap and coin type the same each time so you can compare bridge designs.

1.What is the main goal of the paper-bridge engineering challenge?

Make a bridge that spans 20 cm and holds as many coins as possible.
Make the prettiest bridge, even if it cannot hold coins.
Use as many sheets of paper as you can.
See how far you can throw a paper bridge.

2.Name one thing you should keep the same in every test so the results are a fair comparison.

3.Predict which paper shape will hold the most coins: flat paper, folded paper, or paper folded into an accordion. Explain why you predict this.

Draw and label your planned bridge. Show where it rests on the books and where the coins will go.

Test and Record

Test three designs. Add coins one at a time to the center of each bridge until it bends too far or collapses. Record the number of coins just before that happens. Use the sample results below to practise interpreting data.

Bridge design

Coins held

Flat paper

Folded in half

Accordion-folded

4.Which sample bridge design held the most coins, and how many did it hold?

5.How many more coins did the accordion-folded bridge hold than the flat-paper bridge? Show your subtraction.

6.True or false: The sample results support the prediction that folding can help a paper bridge hold more coins than flat paper. Use one piece of data as evidence.

TrueFalse

Improve and Explain

Engineers use test results to make changes. A test that does not work as expected can still provide useful evidence.

7.A bridge collapses after 6 coins. What is a sensible next step in the engineering process?

Change one part of the design, then test it again under the same conditions.
Change the gap and coin type at the same time.
Record that it held 20 coins anyway.
Stop testing and guess what happened.

8.Give one safety rule for carrying out the coin test, and explain why it matters.

9.What force pulls the coins and bridge downward toward the floor?

Gravity
Magnetism
Friction
Electricity

10.Imagine your next bridge holds fewer coins than your first one. Describe one design change you could try and how you would check whether it helped.