Build a Geodesic Dome
Science Museum Group
Can you build a dome that stands up?
Find some drinking straws and discover how to make a self-supporting dome with this easy to follow video 👇
Get your step by step guide
The science behind your dome…
Some of the straws in this activity are in compression: they are being squashed, and as a result they produce a force that pushes back. It is those forces that support the weight of the dome. The other straws are in tension: they are being stretched, and as a result they produce a force that pulls back. These tension forces prevent the structure from splaying apart and collapsing.
It is this combination of tension and compression forces that makes a triangle a strong shape, and the interconnected triangles in this activity make the dome a stable, self-supporting structure.
Check out the Wonderlab+ for more fun activities!