Watch the plastic ruler at the front of the room. Can two fingers bend it when it lies flat? What happens when the same ruler stands on its thin edge?
Why might builders care which way round a beam is fitted?
When the ruler stands tall on its thin edge, that up-down size is its depth. The thinner side-to-side size is its width.
A beam is a long piece that carries a load across a gap or holds something up. Orientation is which way round the beam is turned when it is fitted.
Does the same beam resist bending better when it is deep, or when it is wide?
We will bend a ruler, a strip of card and a lolly stick two ways: flat, then on edge. Which way will be harder to bend? Talk with your group and be ready to say why.
First watch one full test with a ruler. Then, in your group, bend the ruler, the card strip and the lolly stick flat, then on edge. Use a gentle two-finger push. Your group decides how you will judge which way is harder: by how the push feels, or by how far each piece bends. Bend gently only. Stop before anything creases or snaps. On your Investigation Journal page, record for each material which orientation was harder to bend.
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