Toothpick Science Projects
The toothpick is an ancient tool for cleaning food from between teeth. It has been made out of many types of materials, but the most common material today is wood. Toothpicks were first mass produced in the late 1800s. Charles Forster of Maine created a machine that could produce 1.4 million toothpicks per hour. Toothpicks can be used for various tasks, including materials for science projects.
Other People Are Reading
-
Toothpick Bridge
-
One science project that uses toothpicks is the creation of a "toothpick bridge." The purpose of this experiment is to construct the strongest possible bridge using toothpicks. The strength of the bridge design is then is tested by adding weight to the bridge until it flexes 1.5 centimeters or breaks. There are specific guidelines to follow when creating the bridge. For example, only flat toothpicks and Elmer's glue may be used. The bridges have to also meet specific height and width requirements.
Toothpicks and Surface Tension
-
A simple science experiment that can be done at home with toothpicks helps to illustrate surface tension. The materials needed for this experiment include a glass of water, pepper, toothpicks and dish soap. First, pepper should be sprinkled in the water. Then the toothpick is inserted into the center and an observation should be made about what happens to the particles of pepper on the surface of the water. After removing the toothpick, a drop of dish soap should be added to the toothpick and it should be inserted into the center again. Another observation should be made as well as a comparison between the two trials.
-
Toothpick Stars
-
Another simple experiment involves making toothpick stars. For this experiment, five toothpicks and a dropper filled with water are needed. The toothpicks should be gently bent to form a "V." They should not be snapped however. These five toothpick "V"s should then be placed in a circle with the bent angles in the middle. Then a few drops of water should be placed in the very center of the circle and observations should be made about what happens.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit toothpicks image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com
