Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I am starting a science project on testing the strength of domes. How should i make, and test this experiment? (i have previous knowledge of building bridges and testing designs)
P.s.the whole project is due around February of 2014, but the procedure is due 10/17/13!!!
pps plz help!!

Joshing Josh,

Welcome back to science buddies. Sounds like a great science/engineering project. I would test this very similar to bridge projects, and since you have already done that before, you shouldn't have any trouble. But to get you started, i would build your various designs and then place a platform of some kind on top and start adding weight until the dome failed. The amount of weight at the point of failure is your data point. To baseline, I'd take a single piece of your building material (say a metal bar) and put weight across the middle while held up only by the ends to get a sense of how much weight it can hold when not part of a dome, then compare how much stronger the structure is when integrated into a dome.

Just some ideas. Good luck.

first of all, thanks for the quick reply ! so instead of taking a rope and bucket, i would put the weight on top of the dome which would distribute the weight. secondly, to clarify, since i am testing dome structure, i would just make the dome frame, and not attach anything extra right?
thnxs,
Josh

How you distribute the weight is not as important, as long as the force acts through the top center of the dome, perpendicular to the floor. I'm not sure what you mean by "extra" but if all you are testing is the dome then that is all you want to distribute the weight. I'm a bit unclear as to what aspect of the dome you are testing. A science experiment should have one independent variable that you will change and observe how dependent variables change in response. Are you testing different building materials or buildingt techniques or what?

my independent variable is the material of wood i am using
my dependent variable is the design ex. diametric dome(simpler) schwedler dome...or to much more simpler, triangles, sqaures, hexagons, pentagons, etc.

also, i would like to ask what type of wood is bendable/flexible to use to make the bends of a dome?