Today we’re bringing you a very amusing as well as unusual experiment. If we think of the strength of spaghetti strands… the first thought that crosses our mind is: they break ever so easily. Well, in the experiment we’re proposing today you’ll discover that this is not the case. The spaghetti strands are much stronger than you think. Would you like to discover it with us?
Materials:
- 2 supports (of wood or cardboard…)
- 1 box of spaghetti
- Full glass jars
Follow these steps:
- Stand the two supports facing each other at an appropriate distance for placing the spaghetti strands on them.
- The first time round, place a single spaghetti strand and try to stand a glass jar on it.
- Then, put a handful of spaghetti across (preferably cut in half) and stand the glass jar on top of them. As the weight will be distributed, the jar will not fall. Because strength lies in unity!
Why does this happen?
When the point on which a force is exerted is increased, the tension is reduced. However, if the force is maintained on a single fixed point continuously and without being distributed, that point will break.
