Excelet

Brick Height Simulator

Let's stack some bricks and determine a mathematical model.

Click on the tabs to navigate!!!

modified 2015
Stacking bricks
height of a brick = 5.7 cm
5.4 - 7.3 What does the slope represent?

no. bricks height, cm

0 0 160
1 5.7
140
2 11.4 f(x) = 5.7x
3 17.1 120
4 22.8
100
5 28.5
height (cm)

7 39.9 80
10 57
60
15 85.5
20 114 40
25 142.5
20

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
number of bricks in a stack

Is your model determined from actual measurements as good as this one?

Why or why not?

Are your bricks a consistent height? Explain why or why not.

Sinex 2014
stack of bricks
Stacking bricks and mortar
height of a brick = 5.7 cm thickness of the mortar = 1.27 cm
0.9 - 1.3
bricks only bricks + mortar To hold the bricks in place, a layer of mortar in placed on each brick.
no. bricks height, cm height, cm
0 0 0
200
1 5.7 6.97
180
2 11.4 13.94
3 17.1 20.91
160 f(x) = 6.97x
4 22.8 27.88 140
f(x) = 5.7x
5 28.5 34.85 120

height (cm)
7 39.9 48.79 100
10 57 69.7 80
15 85.5 104.55 60
20 114 139.4
40
25 142.5 174.25
20
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
number of bricks in a stack

What is the height of a brick plus the mortar?

What is the cause of the difference between the two lines?

Sinex 2014
bricks with mortar
Comparing stacking bricks and mortar with just stacking bricks
height of a brick = 6.8 cm thickness of the mortar = 1.3 cm

bricks only bricks + mortar

no. bricks height, cm height, cm difference %error Why does the difference or absolute error grow as more
0 0 0 0 -- bricks are added to the stack?
1 6.8 8.1 1.3 19.1
2 13.6 16.2 2.6 19.1
3 20.4 24.3 3.9 19.1 The mortar thickness could easily have some random variation.
4 27.2 32.4 5.2 19.1
5 34 40.5 6.5 19.1 0 increase
7 47.6 56.7 9.1 19.1 0 add random error
10 68 81 13.0 19.1

t h ickne s s of m or t a r
15 102 121.5 19.5 19.1
20 136 162 26.0 19.1
25 170 202.5 32.5 19.1
absolute relative 35
error error 30
f(x) = 1.3x - 2.1423669563899E-15
R² = 1
25

20
average %error = 19.1 15
std. dev. = 0.0 10

5
A proportional systematic error occurs if the 0
mortar is not included in the height measurement. 0 5 10
number of15bricks 20 25 30

Sinex 2014
bricks with mortar
Mixing it up with bricks!
Bricks are manufactured in a variety of styles with different heights
number of brick stack ranging from 5.4 to 7.3 cm. Here we are stacking a variety of sizes.
bricks bricks height, cm height, cm
1 brick #1 5.4 The task at hand:
2 brick #2 6.1
3 brick #3 5.6 1. Calculate the average brick height and stack height.
4 brick #4 7.0
5 brick #5 7.4 2. Plot a graph of stack height as a function of the
6 brick #6 5.7 number of bricks.
7 brick #7 5.5
8 brick #8 6.2 3. Perform a linear regression, plot the best-fit line,
9 brick #9 7.0 equation and r-squared.
10 brick #10 7.3
4. How is the model influenced by the brick height
average = variation.

5. Your original model from stacking the bricks in the classroom

stack height calculation hint probably has a y-intercept value. What is the cause of it?

Sinex 2014
Brick Wall - Adding a Brick Length Model

brick height, cm = 5.7 brick length, cm = 19.4 mortar thickness, cm = 0.9

number of

height or length, cm
bricks height, cm length, cm Wall size
0 0 0 length, cm = 200
3 19.8 60.9 1000 height, cm Linear (height, cm) height, cm = 200
6 39.6 121.8 900
f(x) = 20.3x
9 59.4 182.7
800
12 79.2 243.6 Number of bricks
700
15 99 304.5 tracer - bricks (height)
18 118.8 365.4 600 H= 30.3
21 138.6 426.3 500
24 158.4 487.2
400
27 178.2 548.1 tracer - bricks (length)
30 198 609 300 L= 9.9
f(x) = 6.6x
33 217.8 669.9 200
36 237.6 730.8 100
39 257.4 791.7 number of total bricks
0
42 277.2 852.6 LxH= 298.6
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
45 297 913.5 number of bricks

Why does the length model have a steeper slope?

If you didn't include the mortar, what happens to estimate?

Sinex 2015
 This is an application
to determine the number
of bricks given a wall size.

200
cks (height)

200
cks (length)

We will combine two

brick models - one for
height and the other
for length.
Stacking Lego Bricks and Plates

height of a Lego brick = 1.00 cm thickness of the Lego plate = 0.35 cm

bricks only bricks + plates To hold the bricks in place, a layer of mortar, the plate, in placed on each brick.
no. bricks height, cm height, cm
0 0 0 Ruler Error (zero)
40
1 1.00 1.35 0 mm
2 2.00 2.70 35
3 3.00 4.05 30 f(x) = 1.35x - 4.28473391277981E-15 0 +
4 4.00 5.40 R² = 1
5 5.00 6.75 25 Top of Brick Error
f(x) = x
height (cm)
7 7.00 9.45 20 0 mm
R² = 1
10 10.00 13.50
15 15.00 20.25 15 0 +
20 20.00 27.00 10
25 25.00 33.75 Note: Errors in mm
5
but applied in cm.
Test the influence of the 0
errors with and without 0 5 10 15 20 25 How do the errors
the origin (remove 0 cm). number of bricks in a stack influence the
results?
If the ruler error and What is the height of a brick plus the plate? (investigate one at a
the top of brick error time)
are the same size, what What is the cause of the difference between the two lines?
happens?
Sinex 2015
 Using Lego
bricks with plates as the mortar

rrors in mm left arrow shows correct top of

stack for measurement

Top of Brick Error

correct
incorrect
ate one at a