Buttered Toast
How often have you dropped your toast on the floor in the morning rush to get to school? Does it always seem to land butter-side down and so pick up all the dirt from the floor making your breakfast inedible?
As part of Wales Maths Week 2007 we tested the theory “Toast mostly lands butter-side down”. Schools joined in by trying out the experiment below and sending in their results.
If you want to try the experiment, see the instructions below. The drop height must be measured. This can be done by using a tape measure or through triangulation. Triangulation provides another opportunity to use maths in a practical situation.
The Experiment
To carry out this experiment, you will need:
- A slice of medium-thickness bread.
- Some butter.
- Knife.
- Toaster.
- Newspaper.
- Plate.
- A thick marker pen.
Procedure:
- Find a table that is approximately 1m in height.
- Lay newspaper on the floor around the table.
- Lightly toast the slice of bread.
- Spread a thin layer of butter over one side of the toast.
- Place the toast butter side up on the plate.
- Place the plate near the edge of the table.
- Gently push the toast off the plate so that it falls from the table onto the newspaper.
- Make a note of whether the toast lands butter-side down or not.
- Carry out 20 drops in total.
Optional Extension activity 1:
- Find a table that is approximately 1m in height.
- Lay newspaper on the floor around the table.
- Lightly toast the slice of bread.
- Instead of buttering the toast, draw a B with a marker pen on one side.
- Place the toast onto the plate with the B facing upwards.
- Place the place near the edge of the table.
- Gently push the toast off the plate so that it falls from the table onto the newspaper.
- Make a note of whether the toast lands with B facing upwards or not.
- Carry out 20 drops in total.
Optional Extension Activity 2:
- Find a flat surface and measure its height in metres.
- Place a protective cover on the floor around the drop zone.
- Lightly toast the slice of bread.
- Spread a thin layer of butter over one side of the toast.
- Place the toast butter side up on the plate.
- Place the plate near the edge of the flat surface.
- Gently push the toast off the plate so that it falls from the table onto the covered area.
- Make a note of whether the toast lands butter-side down or not.
- Carry out 20 drops in total.
Optional Extension Activity 3:
- Find a Flat surface and measure its height in metres.
- Place a protective cover on the floor around the drop zone.
- Lightly toast the slice of bread.
- Instead of buttering the toast, draw a B with a marker pen on one side.
- Place the toast onto the plate with the B facing upwards.
- Place the place near the edge of the table.
- Gently push the toast off the plate so that it falls from the table onto the newspaper.
- Make a note of whether the toast lands with B facing upwards or not.
- Carry out 20 drops in total.
|
624
539