Teaching article
Paper tabs: compare joins with equal material allowances
Compare join designs using equal materials and a shared test.
An overlapping tab and an edge-only join put contact surfaces in different arrangements. Use comparable strips and tape amounts, then record how the joins behave under the same gentle test.
To hand: Paper strips and suitable tape.
Make two join types. Apply the same gentle test. Record separation.
The join needs a fair comparison
An overlapping tab offers a different contact area from an edge-only join.
Use the same amount of joining material when comparing. A join's behaviour depends on contact area, placement and the way the test is applied.
More tape changes the comparison. Were material amounts comparable?
Use large prepared tabs.
Resources
- Paper Bridge Design Challenge — Apply a stated span and test method when comparing the paper prototypes.
Further reading
Read next
- An accessible playground model needs a specific access question
- Top and side views reveal different parts of the same model
- Design the model's pack-down as well as its construction
Explore Design and paper engineering. Browse all teaching articles.