Grasping at Straws

The Principles of Physics class has a straw tower competition every year. The challenge is to build a tower out of one package of plastic drinking straws (the bendy elbow kind, 100 straws per package). The tower must support a tennis ball for 15 seconds. The tallest tower that supports the tennis ball wins.







Each group is allowed 12 inches of masking tape to hold straws together. That's usually not enough. Creative ways of connecting straws have included cutting the ends off and shoving other straws into the ends, tearing the tape into tiny strips, cutting straws lengthwise and using those threadlike parts to tie other straws together, and cutting holes in the middle of straws and shoving other straws through them.

The key to building such a tower is to make sure that the center of gravity of the tennis ball is over the base of support of the tower. If not, that tottering tower will tip over, and toss your tennis ball to the tile.

The straw tower contest is held in May, with the winning group in each class earning bonus points.






Here is last year's overall winner, designed by Brad W., assisted by Brendan B., Megan S., Jamie D., Courtney B., and Jake C. They drew out a specific plan, assigned duties, measured precisely, and constructed this magnificent tower. After the time limit and official testing, they actually added more levels to their sturdy structure.










Each year, new designs are created. In some classes, it's not the great height of the tower that makes a winner, but the ability to actually support the tennis ball for 15 seconds. A few groups got carried away with making the tallest tower, forgetting that it must balance a tennis ball.













To look at some towers, you might think it's a mission impossible. In fact, many trials resulted in failure to support the tennis ball for 15 seconds, or for any seconds. But one simple, last-minute adjustment can make it work. Which was proven by the group of Jesse C., Christin F., Rachel S., and Zach B., who shored up their tower to take first place in 1st Hour.

Does anybody else think this one looks like some kind of cartoonish WhoVille skyscraper from a Dr. Seuss story?