A Sweet Earthquake Shake on Landfill

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Here's how.

Active Time

30-45 minutes

Total Project Time

30-45 minutes

Key Concepts

Earthquake, liquefaction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3FUb_DQ7HM

Introduction

Have you ever thought about what type of ground buildings are constructed on? Rock, gravel, sand, soil and many others—there are lots of different types of "ground." And this issue becomes especially important in areas that are likely to get earthquakes. In this activity you will build a sweet building on a homemade shake table and find out how an earthquake impacts buildings constructed on landfill. How will your structure perform in a pretend earthquake?

Credits

Sabine De Brabandere, PhD, Science Buddies

This activity is not appropriate for use as a science fair project. Good science fair projects have a stronger focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data. To find a science fair project that is just right for you, browse our library of over 1,200 Science Fair Project Ideas or use the Topic Selection Wizard to get a personalized project recommendation.

Next: Materials

Materials

Butcher paper or newspaper
Wax paper
Damp cloth
Starburst® candy or sugar cubes (40 or more)
No-stir peanut butter or a substitute, such as soy butter or sunflower seed butter
Spoon or butter knife
Cornstarch
Water
Measuring cup
Shallow box
Marbles or any small balls identical in size (1 to 2 dozen)
Shallow tray that is a few inches smaller than your shallow box. (Aluminum cake-trays work well.)
Fork
Optional: Yellow food coloring