Putting it together – science and technology of composite materials

Activities

Berkeley Lab (University of California, USA)

I wonder what makes Kevlar so strong? – students follow five clues to answer the question.

Polymer modelling activity – uses paper clips to model the linking of polymers.

Polymer fiber orientation activity – compares the 'tearability' of paper and plastic.

Exploratorium (USA)

Bone stress – uses polarised light to reveal stress patterns in clear plastic.

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (University of Michigan, USA)

Playing with polymers – students use cooked spaghetti to model a polymer.

National Aeronautics Space Administration, USA

Mud bricks – students test the effect of soil particle size when making mud bricks.

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Posted November 2000.