Super Strength (Grades K-2)

Try this experiment to see how you can make a simple piece of paper as strong as your favorite superhero.

What does a piece of paper and The Hulk have in common? Their strength can quickly go from 1 to 10,000! In this experiment, you will turn an average piece of paper into something really super.

Watch this balancing act in action: Balancing Act – Sick Science! #127. 

What You Need 

• A  piece of paper
• A rubber band or hair tie 
• A book, cereal box or flat object
• A few other unbreakable objects (like plastic bowls or toys) that could be balanced on top of the book

What To Do

1. Try to balance your book on a rolled up piece of paper. Try rolling the paper up, making an arch… try everything you can think of!
2. Roll the paper into a cylinder, length-wise, and wrap a rubber band around the tube to hold it in shape.
3. Now try balancing the book on top of the paper cylinder.
4. Balance your other unbreakable items on top of the textbook. How high can your tower go?
5. Take a photo of your super strong tower! Send your favorite one to summeradventure@neric.org or post to social media using #CapRegSummer.