 your results
Sent in by:
Ms. C.'s 2nd grade class, MA
Can you stand on paper cups without crushing them?
- small paper drinking cups
- 2 cardboard squares 24" X 24"
- Can you make a platform with cups and a piece of cardboard that will support your weight?
- Check with a grown-up before you start this.
- Place one cardboard square on the floor, and put a bunch of cups face down on top of it.
- When you think you have enough cups to support your weight, put the other cardboard square on top. With a friend to spot you, carefully stand on the platform.
- Did it hold you? If it did, try it using fewer cups. See how many cups you need to support you.
Here's why it works. If you try to stand on just one cup, it will smoosh. That's because all of your weight is pushing, or compressing, the cup. But if you arrange the cups, and put a piece of cardboard on top, then the cardboard spreads out your weight. So, each cup supports less weight. That means that there isn't too much weight on any one cup. Try it out and be sure to send us your results.
You can also send us your pictures or video of this ZOOMsci:
ZOOMsci
ZOOM
Box 350
Boston, MA 02134
Crystal, age 12 of Northfield, OH wrote:
I used those white foam cups, and they worked. I got down to two cups. Wow!
Khori, age 8 of Vacaville, CA wrote:
I had fun!!! First, I put down a piece of cardboard, and many different numbers of paper or plastic cups on it. Then, I put another piece of cardboard on top of the cups. Last, I stepped up on top. The results were: Sixteen, 16-ounce plastic cups were the lowest number I could stand on. Nineteen 9-ounce plastic cups were the lowest number I could stand on. TWO(!) 12-ounce paper cups were the lowest number I could stand on. Three 9-ounce paper cups were the lowest number I could stand on. I can stand on paper cups better than I can stand on plastic cups when I spread my weight out equally using two cardboard pieces. I weigh 78 pounds. Next time I will try letting my mom and dad stand on the cups to see how many cups they can stand on without smashing them!! The cardboard pieces were 13" by 18" each. I wore NO SHOES, but I kept my socks on. I did try standing on one cup and actually I was up for two seconds. My mom got a picture and it LOOKS like I stood on it LONGER. (HA!) I included this picture in my display, but I also included the after shot which showed that I DIDN'T stand on the cup but it was smashed. Lots of FUN!!
Mizzelei, age 16 of Philippines wrote:
Actually, when I made this experiment, I was really excited about it, however the experiment did not work out pretty well. I was rather dissapointed about it but then I'll try my best to get this experiment. Perhaps, one problem that I had encountered was the type of cups that I have used. It was a plastic cup and it was not that sturdy. And now I'm going to try it once again using microwave cups. The first experiment I made did not turn out to be great but I am really optimistic about it this time... Wish me luck! Any tips? Cause I plan to show it to my Physics class coz' it involves some principles about physics...
Sophia, age 9 of Cairo, Egypt wrote:
It held my weight I only used 4 and it held 59 pounds it was also really fun. My cousin didnt see the cup walk and she tripped over it it was funny.
Lucy, age 12 of Columbus, MS wrote:
I found that taller paper cups would hold the most weight and the shorter cups would hold the least weight.
Lizzie, age 7 of Chesapeake, VA wrote:
I love your show! I used one idea from one of the kids. The one I tried was to put cups down on the floor, and then put a piece of cardboard on top. I tried to stand on the cardboard. At first I used lots of cups, then I took them away. I got down to 8 cups. Then I got a great idea. I put three cups in a stact. I got one stack of three to hold my wieght. I weigh 53 pounds.
Allison, age 11 of Gainesville, GA wrote:
I did the paper cup walk still with paper but an 18 egg carten and then cut them away one by one and I got down to one.
Darius & Sheranda of Fairmont, NC wrote:
The recults were great we cuold stand on 7 cups each without breaking them. Plus we won 2nd prize at our school fair.
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