Testing Bridge Length

Today we tested how the length of a bridge affected how much weight the bridge could carry. Students worked with their table groups to test bridges with lengths ranging from 4 inches to 11 inches to determine how many pennies the bridge could carry before breaking.

Although when students initially graphed their results, it initially appeared to many that there was not a clear relationship or pattern, when we combined the class data the relationship became more apparent. Unlike our previous bridge experiment, where students tested how the thickness of the bridge affected the carrying weight, the relationship this time could be better modeled with a curve than a straight line, as you can see for yourself below.