Product Summary
Study the properties of different types of bridges through hands-on exploration, and collect measurements to compare the tension and compression in their beams.
Measuring Loads
Load your bridge by hanging a weight from it. Then measure the tension and compression in the I-beams using Load Cells. The load cells can be moved around to explore the load in every beam in the bridge.
Rectangular Segments
First, students build a bridge with rectangular segments. Of course, bridges are never made this way but students will never understand why until they try it.
Triangular Segments
Next, students build a Warren bridge with triangular segments. This shows how much stronger triangular segments are than rectangular segments.
Effect of Scale
Students build a second Warren bridge on a different scale to discover how the forces change in this bridge that has twice the number of segments but spans the same distance.
Effect of Adding Verticals
Verticals are added to the larger Warren bridge. Students will find that the loads do not change when the verticals are added: So why are verticals used?
Full Warren Bridge vs Pratt Bridge
Additional verticals are added to make a Full Warren bridge. Then the students change the Full Warren to a Pratt bridge. How are the forces different in a Pratt compared to a full Warren?
Concepts
- Learn about different types of bridges through hands-on exploration.
- Measure the tension/compression in beams for different bridge designs.
What's Included
Data Collection Software
This product requires PASCO software for data collection and analysis. We recommend the following option(s). For more information on which is right for your classroom, see our Software Comparison: SPARKvue vs. Capstone »
Interface Required
This product requires a PASCO Interface to connect to your computer or device. We recommend the following option(s). For a breakdown of features, capabilities, and additional options, see our Interface Comparison Guide »
Experiments
Experiment Library
Perform the following experiments and more with the Basic Bridges.
Visit PASCO's Experiment Library to view more activities.
College / Engineering
Learn about bridges through exploration. Discover how the tension or compression in beams varies in different bridge designs.
