Try this free science homework activity on Composites and Compounds with your students
If you’re tackling composites and compounds this term, here’s a simple science homework activity for your Key Stage 3 students.
This activity encourages students to explore the strength of newspaper, printer paper and cardboard at home.
Each student will need:
- A number of sheets of A4 printer paper
- A newspaper
- Some pieces of card, of different thicknesses (one will do, but more will be better!)
- A strong cardboard packaging box
- Non-toxic glue
How to test composite materials at home
Science homework student instructions
- Take a single sheet of the newspaper and bend it or fold it.
- Take a single sheet of the printer paper and bend it or fold it.
- What do you notice about the properties of the different thicknesses of paper? Which is lighter? Which is easier to bend?
- Predict how easy the card will be to bend or fold; test your prediction.
- Take three sheets of printer paper and stick them together. When the glue is dry, test its strength. What do you notice?
- You have just made a composite material! Make some more materials, using a mixture of layers of card, printer paper and newspaper.
- Which do you think will be the strongest, and why?
- Investigate the composite material used to make a strong cardboard box. What is cardboard made from? Why is it strong?
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