The Cut in Half Activity Please do not write on these instructions
Science 1
Question: How many times can a sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper be cut in half using a pair of scissors?
Hypothesis:
Procedure:
Materials:
- 1 sheet of paper 8.5 x 11 inches
- 1 pair of scissors
- 1 metric ruler
Steps:
1. Fold the paper in half.
2. Along the crease cut the paper in half.
3. Fold one of the halves of paper, and cut it in half.
4. Repeat step three until you can no longer cut the paper.
5. Keep a tally of how many times you cut the paper in half
Data:
Your tally _________________________ = __________cuts
Group Members Number of Cuts
_____________ _____________
_____________ _____________
_____________ _____________
_____________ _____________
Results: Write a paragraph below that describes your data and what happened during the experiment.
Conclusions: Write a paragraph that restates the question and your hypothesis. Was your hypothesis close or way off? Answer the question by referring to your data.
Analysis:
1. How many square millimeters are in a sheet of paper? Remember that area is length times width.
Length = ____________mm Width = _____________mm
Area =
Length x Width = ___________mm x _____________mm = _______________mm2
2. Divide this area by 2 the same number of times you folded the paper.
3. Measure the length and width of the smallest piece of paper and determine its area:
4. Is your answer for #2 close to #3? Should it be?
5. If you had the best possible scissors, could you cut the paper in half over and over again forever? Explain why you think this way.
Extra Credit: Make a poster out of your paper pieces. Glue them to a dark colored paper and make a pattern out of them.