Ok, so i have a toothpick bridge due on the 18th of December, and I have only done the pillars. We can only use elmers glue, and have a limit of 500 toothpicks. Do you have any tips, or designs that i could use to help me out?
2007-12-14 11:51:11 · 4 answers · asked by Margo S 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Yes, triangles, but a trangle is two dimensional. Wiki Tetrahedron. It's made of 4 triangles. This should be the basic shape that your bridge is made from. Every toothpick should be one side of some toothpick tetrahedron. It's the shape most resistant to collapse.
2007-12-14 15:33:23 · answer #1 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Arches and triangles, you can never go wrong with them. Well, you can, but use them anyway. They are strong structures. Also make sure it has some width, to give it lateral strength.
After you finish it, add another very thin coat of glue to the most important parts (joints), then the next most important parts, and do so until you run out of glue or completely coat it.
Also make sure that if one part of it goes out, another part (such as another beam) can still support the entire structure and load.
In reality, I could go on and on. That;s engineering. But the most important part is to enjoy it and be creative while trying to look for the strongest structure.
Oh, and for emphasis, put in arches or triangles. A well put arch can do wonders. Cliche, but the Romans did it. And some of there architecture is still standing without glue, mortar or even clamps.
But be careful with glue, it can add up in weight and too much will cause more harm than good. That's why I said thin layers of glue.
Good luck. I had to do one. The small subtleties make a big difference. Such as too much glue at a joint, or too little, or a twisted pillar, or a bent beam. We measured the weight the brides could hold until breaking. These little details make huge differences.
2007-12-14 12:02:36 · answer #2 · answered by Mitchell 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would avoid use of arches, as the toothpicks may not like them very much, but i highly suggest triangles
if they never specified how much glue you can use, lay out all your toothpicks flat on a surface and cover them in glue, flip and repeat... that should be pretty tought [/sarcasm]
2007-12-14 12:18:02 · answer #3 · answered by brigugg 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you need a sturdy base. also use arches and cross your toothpicks. use tons of glue too!!
hope this helps (:
2007-12-14 12:04:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋