Make a tensegrity structure Follow FizzicsEd 150 Science Experiments: Comments 0 You will need: 16 Craft Paddle Pop sticks. You might find that tongue depressors are easier to work with as they are larger and easier to cut. Have some spare ones on hand in case you break the sticks in the process. Craft PVA Glue. If you have a hot glue gun this will be stronger and the setup will be faster too. Sticky tape Scissors (side cutters can be very handy for making notches in the paddle pop sticks) String Written by Fizzics Education. Reviewed by Ben Newsome CF. Cite this experiment Copyright Notice Instruction 1 Make 2 groups of 5 notches on both ends of each paddle pop, making sure that the notches are directly opposite each other. The shapes of each notch matter – look closely at the image. Starting from the end of the paddle pop stick, you can see that for each side; The first notch is square-shaped (large enough to fit another paddle pop stick in it). The second notch is a simple V-shaped cut. The third notch is a wider rectangular notch. The fourth cut is another V-shaped cut. The fifth notch is square-shaped, just like the first one. 2 Repeat this on both sides of each paddle pop stick and on each end. This should produce 20 notches on each paddle pop stick in total. 3 Place two paddle pop sticks together to form a right angle using the first notch. 4 Insert a paddle pop stick in the next square-shaped groove (fifth from the end) and flip the structure over. 5 Place two paddle pop sticks on the other side of the first two sticks, so that the middle two sticks are in between the pillars. 6 Rotate the structure onto its side. Using another stick, place glue on the middle, and glue it on the base closest to the inner pillar as shown in the picture above. Allow the glue to dry before proceeding further (otherwise use a hot glue gun instead to speed up the process). 7 Get 2 sticks and cut them down to this size and attach them on the end of the structure as pictured in the next step. 8 Attach the cut stick to the inner grove (shown on the right side in the picture). This will be known as the bottom piece. 9 Repeat steps 3 to 5 to make another piece shown in the picture. 10 Turn this new piece on its side. This time, glue a stick horizontally at the edge of the top stick as shown. Then cut the bottom stick at the right inner grove. Your structure should tilt slightly. This will be known as the top piece 11 Create a 3cm loop of string 12 Cut two 20cm lengths of string. 13 Attach the loop onto the short stick in the bottom piece & tape this down tightly. 14 Flip the top piece upside-down and place the short stick into the loop. The two horizontal sticks should line up over each other now. Tape the string at each end, allowing for some overhang and ensure the strings are tight. Your tensegrity structure is complete! 15 Get the Unit of Work on Forces here! Push, pull Friction & spin! From inertia to centripetal force, this unit covers many concepts about Newton’s Laws! Includes cross-curricular teaching ideas, student quizzes, a sample marking rubric, scope & sequences & more 16 School science visits since 2004! – Curriculum-linked & award-winning incursions. – Over 40 primary & high school programs to choose from. – Designed by experienced educators. – Over 2 million students reached. – Face to face incursions & online programs available. – Early learning centre visits too! 17 Online courses for teachers & parents – Help students learn how science really works What is going on? The Science of Tensegrity Tensegrity (a portmanteau of “tensional integrity”) explores materials and components under compression that are balanced out by a tension force to create a “floating structure”. In this experiment, gravity pushing down on the popsicle sticks puts the structure under compression. The string then exerts a tension force equal to gravity, which balances out the forces and holds the structure in place. Because the central string is holding the weight of the top section, and the outer strings provide stability to stop it from tipping, the entire assembly becomes a self-stablising system. This creates the illusion of the top section floating in mid-air, when it is actually “hanging” from the tension of the strings. Applications Tensegrity is seen in all sorts of natural processes. A spider web uses the properties of tensegrity to be one of the strongest materials in the world relative to its weight. In the human body, our bones act as the compression members while our muscles, tendons, and ligaments provide the tension to hold us upright. Engineers use these principles to create incredibly efficient structures. You can see this in the Spodek stadium in Poland, the Kurilpa Bridge in Brisbane, and Hirshhorn’s Needle Tower in the USA. Even bicycle wheels rely on the tension of spokes to maintain their shape and strength! Another version to make! Variables to Explore Find out more on variables here. String Length Try changing the length of the strings and see how it affects the balance of the structure. Material Strength Try changing to a thinner string or even cotton thread. Does it still hold the tension without snapping? Load Capacity Try adding a tiny weight to the top section. How much extra mass can your tensegrity structure hold before it collapses? ✅ Reviewed: April 5, 2026 APA 7 Citation: Fizzics Education. (2020). Make a tensegrity structure. https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/150-science-experiments/force-movement-experiments/make-a-tensegrity-structure/ Copy APA Citation Reviewer This resource was last reviewed for scientific accuracy on April 5, 2026. Ben Newsome CF is the recipient of the 2023 UTS Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and a Churchill Fellow. He is a global leader in science communication and the founder of Fizzics Education. Learn more! Forces, Friction & Movement Years K to 6 Maximum 30 students School workshop 60 or 90 minutes Online Class Available Read More Enquire Now STEM Full Day Accelerator - Primary Designed from real classroom experiences, this modular day helps you create consistently effective science learning that directly address the new curriculum with easily accessible and cost-effective materials. Read More Enquire Now Liquifly water rocket $31.95 excl. GST View Details Add to Cart Trustpilot Space Science Parties Launch rockets! Make 'Alien' slime! Discover how spaceships work All about our cosmos and more From $395 inc. GST Read More
Make 2 groups of 5 notches on both ends of each paddle pop, making sure that the notches are directly opposite each other. The shapes of each notch matter – look closely at the image. Starting from the end of the paddle pop stick, you can see that for each side; The first notch is square-shaped (large enough to fit another paddle pop stick in it). The second notch is a simple V-shaped cut. The third notch is a wider rectangular notch. The fourth cut is another V-shaped cut. The fifth notch is square-shaped, just like the first one.
Repeat this on both sides of each paddle pop stick and on each end. This should produce 20 notches on each paddle pop stick in total.
Insert a paddle pop stick in the next square-shaped groove (fifth from the end) and flip the structure over.
Place two paddle pop sticks on the other side of the first two sticks, so that the middle two sticks are in between the pillars.
Rotate the structure onto its side. Using another stick, place glue on the middle, and glue it on the base closest to the inner pillar as shown in the picture above. Allow the glue to dry before proceeding further (otherwise use a hot glue gun instead to speed up the process).
Get 2 sticks and cut them down to this size and attach them on the end of the structure as pictured in the next step.
Attach the cut stick to the inner grove (shown on the right side in the picture). This will be known as the bottom piece.
Turn this new piece on its side. This time, glue a stick horizontally at the edge of the top stick as shown. Then cut the bottom stick at the right inner grove. Your structure should tilt slightly. This will be known as the top piece
Flip the top piece upside-down and place the short stick into the loop. The two horizontal sticks should line up over each other now. Tape the string at each end, allowing for some overhang and ensure the strings are tight. Your tensegrity structure is complete!
Get the Unit of Work on Forces here! Push, pull Friction & spin! From inertia to centripetal force, this unit covers many concepts about Newton’s Laws! Includes cross-curricular teaching ideas, student quizzes, a sample marking rubric, scope & sequences & more
School science visits since 2004! – Curriculum-linked & award-winning incursions. – Over 40 primary & high school programs to choose from. – Designed by experienced educators. – Over 2 million students reached. – Face to face incursions & online programs available. – Early learning centre visits too!
Forces, Friction & Movement Years K to 6 Maximum 30 students School workshop 60 or 90 minutes Online Class Available Read More Enquire Now
STEM Full Day Accelerator - Primary Designed from real classroom experiences, this modular day helps you create consistently effective science learning that directly address the new curriculum with easily accessible and cost-effective materials. Read More Enquire Now
Designed from real classroom experiences, this modular day helps you create consistently effective science learning that directly address the new curriculum with easily accessible and cost-effective materials.
Space Science Parties Launch rockets! Make 'Alien' slime! Discover how spaceships work All about our cosmos and more From $395 inc. GST Read More
Launch rockets! Make 'Alien' slime! Discover how spaceships work All about our cosmos and more From $395 inc. GST
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