9 A/B NAME: …………………………………………………

FORCES
FORCES always come in pairs, known as INTERACTION PAIRS. So,
for instance, a duck can swim on the water in a pond because
there is an interaction between the gravity pushing down on
the duck and the upthrust force from the water.

This investigation is in three parts:

1. Thinking about the forces acting on a bus crossing over a
bridge
2. Trialling different bridge designs
3. Building your best bridge design and comparing it to the
designs built by the other groups in the class – a
competition!

(NB: Parts 1 and 2 only make up the Block 5 evaluation)

Part 1. FORCES ACTING ON A BUS CROSSING A

BRIDGE
The bus should fall into the water! But why does it not fall
into the water?
(a) Decide what are the forces acting upon the bus. What are
the two forces in the interacting pair?

FORCE 1: .....................................................

FORCE 2: .....................................................

(b) There are also a pair of forces acting on the bridge

itself, which stop the bridge collapsing, even without a
bus driving over. What are the two forces?

FORCE 1: ....................................................

FORCE 2: .....................................................
Part 2. BRIDGE DESIGNS
Test the 6 designs below, using A4 paper, to determine which
design is the strongest.

1. Complete Parts 1 to 7 of the PLANNING sheet before you

begin.
2. Prepare a RESULTS TABLE (#8 on the Planning format)
before you begin the investigation.
3. Conduct the investigation and write your results into the
prepared RESULTS TABLE.
4. Write a CONCLUSION (#9 on the Planning format), justified
by your results.
Part 3. BRIDGE COMPETITION
Decide upon the best design from your investigations. The
challenge now is construct a bridge, according to your best
design, to span a space exactly 25 cms wide. The bridge design
must carry a roadway of 5 cm in width.

To make your bridge stronger, you may claim:

 two drinking straws;
 a piece of scotch tape which is 50 cm in length;
 a piece of string which is 50 cm in length.
You will need to carefully decide how you will use the
drinking straws and the tape.

Your bridge structure will have to be transported to the

competition – ie you will not be able to add fixtures to banks
of the river, etc.

The winner will be decided in a competition where weights will

be placed, one on top of the other in the exact centre of the
bridge (12.5 cm from each end). That centre point must be
marked by you beforehand, and should be able to carry 10 gm
weights.

Whose bridge will collapse last?