Straw Tower for Physics?

Question

Hello, I would like some help.

The assignment for my physics class yesterday was to make a tower made of 20 straws and 10 pins to support a golf ball. It had to be 40 centimeters tall; unfortunately, we didn't come close at all. Other students just made a rather weak looking tee-pee things (I think the highest was 85 centimeters). However, I just want 40 centimeters. My partner and I had no idea how to start, so we basically just made a triangle out of 2 straws (put two straws together and bent them), and around each corner, had 1 straw going up. Then, we were going to connect another triangle on top of that and so on. However, we somehow ended up with a really, really weak, abstract-looking art piece. (It was quite funny, actually. :P) I just want to know what the best way of going about this is — since we'll be doing this again. Oh, and we only had about 30 minutes, so, yeah. Should we just be completely daring and do what everyone else did?

Answer 1

Take 6 of the straws and make 3 groups of 2. join each group so that you have 3 pieces a little shorter than two straw lenghts.

These will be your vertical support.

  Next get three straws for the base. join them so that each verticl support fits into two straws. Hence, forming a triangle base.

Next, cut 1 straw (with a pin if neccasary) so that if you copied the base a golf ball would rest on it.

Answer 2

One form that comes to mind is a twisted bundle of straws. Visualize a bunch of parallel straws that are twisted and supported top and bottom like a stool. Bind the center with string. I have seen furniture like that.