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Questions for Discussion: Columns: Experimenting with Paper Cups
How would you go about finding out the smallest number of cups needed to support your weight? What could you use instead of sand to resist the compressive forces on the bottomless cups? Why do you think cups are often tapered so they are a little wider at the top than at the bottom? Is the round shape of the cups important? What do you think would happen if you tried this activity with milk cartons or some other square shape? When columns are used to support a building, what are the advantages of using hollow columns? What are the disadvantages?
