CHS Physics Students Build Balsa Bridges
Photo by Bruce Howard
Physics Students Build Balsa BridgesPhysics students at Clarendon High School recently competed with one another to see who could build the strongest balsa wood bridge for its mass. Students were graded on a “weight held/mass of bridge” ratio. This year’s best bridge was constructed by Katie Gooch and Gail Mata. The 18.73 gram bridge (0.66 ounce) held 67 pounds before breaking! Ashton Smith built a bridge that held up nearly 100 pounds to place second. His bridge held more weight but was nearly twice as massive as the first place bridge. Third place and top weight held (103 pounds) belonged to Ryann Starnes and Charles Mason. Students seemed to enjoy the construction and destruction of the bridges and learned about trusses and abutments in bridge building. Next six weeks, the students will build balsa wood towers to hold weight.