My hypothesis: I think that the pyramid design will last the longest and therfore be the most stable design because:

i) it has a wide base

ii) most the beight is distributed on the bottom

iii) the wind will go over it more than hitting it like the others.

For research I will visit the Telus Sky building downtown Calgary. I will tour the building to think about its design.

My independent variable is that each tower will have a different design.

My dependent variable is that I will observe which tower will last the longest.

My controlled variable is that each tower will be exposed to the same amount of wind.

My materials:

-Lego bricks

-Lego base plate

-Plywood to mount base plate onto

-Screws to mount base plate

-Leaf blower, fan or shop vac

-A timer

Method:

I am going to build three Lego skyscrapers sixty Lego bricks tall. Each skycraper will have a different design. One will be skinny, one will be fat, and one will be a pyramid design.

My procedure:

1. First you build 3 towers 60 Lego bricks tall. Each tower is a different design. Build each on the Lego base plate.

2. Then you use a fan, leaf blower or shop vac.

3. Blow each tower 4 times for at least 30 seconds. Hold the leaf blower away from each tower.

4. Then you record you observation on a chart.

Conclusion:

My hypothesis was wrong. The fat tower was the most stable of the three designs because it wobbled the least and did not fall.

Future Considerations:

In the future I would like to try the experiment with different tower designs and different materials. I am interested if the height of the tower impacts its stability.

References and Resources:

The Lego Engineer – Jeff Friesen

Skyscrapers! Super Structures – Carol Johnman

Todd Sutcliffe – Colliers International