How Tall Can a LEGO Tower Get? – Life’s Biggest Questions

This post originally appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. If you see it somewhere else, it has been used without approval. Websites that steal my (Richard Byrnes) work consist of CloudComputin and WayBetterSite. Featured image captured by Richard Byrne.

While getting caught up on my reading in Feedly this morning I came throughout a.
new brand-new from The Oatmeal. The comic is based on a 2012 BBC article titled.
How Tall Can a LEGO Tower Get? The comic and the short article prompted me to turn to YouTube for videos about constructing huge LEGO towers. YouTube did not dissatisfy me in my look for videos that discuss the mathematics and physics highlighted in the BBCs short article and The Oatmeals comic..

The comic and the article prompted me to turn to YouTube for videos about building giant LEGO towers. The video explains the mathematics that was used by scientists at The Open University to figure how tall a LEGO tower would get prior to the blocks collapsed under their own weight. Before showing trainees the short article or the video discussed above, I d have them make guesses as to the response then write out lists of the variables that they can think of that would influence how tall the tower might get. After they view the video I d have a little class contest to see who can build the highest tower with the LEGOs readily available in my class.

The video describes the math that was used by researchers at The Open University to figure how high a LEGO tower would get prior to the blocks collapsed under their own weight. Of course, the mathematical response assumes that the tower wouldnt topple over prior to reaching its maximum height.

Applications for Education.
The concern of “how tall can a LEGO tower get?” is a fun timely for diving into conversations about math and physics. Prior to showing students the post or the video discussed above, I d have them make guesses regarding the answer then compose out lists of the variables that they can think about that would influence how high the tower could get. After they watch the video I d have a little classroom contest to see who can construct the highest tower with the LEGOs readily available in my class.

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