Sorry, Bryson, I didn't make it clear that the schools would be using ping pong balls and adhesive, supplied by the project, as you intend.
I guess you would produce and issue instruction sheets and templates for building the C(1)60 models. These might be plastic plates with rings of holes cut out (5 in one case, 6 in the other) standing on short legs. With these, some rings could be prefabricated but they would also be used to check the rings that arise after combining these.
I notice Chris Budd's name on your list. His input would be particularly valuable as he has long experience of running mathematics masterclasses (and has written on the subject).
Paul Stephenson
Bryson Gore (unauthenticated)
Sep 16, 2009 9:32 AM
Paul,
I take what you say but my response (which was essentially one of quality control and safety with Super glue) still stand(ish)
Yes to your suggestion of templates, that's exactly what I have been working on. I've got my son to make a number of perfect pentagons (it can be done with practice) and am now looking into using these to make perfect templates. These could indeed be mass produced and supplied.
The problem of super-glue remains. I have no real experience of letting kids loose with the stuff.
I see two dangers
1) The glue themselves together by mistake or maliciously glue each other/third party objects. Does anyone have any experience of super-glue release agent - or whatever it's called?
2) Simple wastage. I was rather concerned about the amount of super-glue we were going to need at £1 per gram - retail cost. However, I have just found that you can get hold of it wholesale online at as little as 5p per gram so I'm less concerned
Overall, I think that this would be a really great activity and a lot of industrial, and as I think I mentioned computing, issues could be explored. Think production lines and pipelining. But, I'm not sure that I would make the project a hostage to such projects happening. I have costed the project on the basis that we guarantee production.
Any project like this in a school would be a great bonus and I would be happy for anyone to propose and run it. My instinct is to keep my own head focussed on one line. So, please go ahead and add it to the mix - add it to the budget as well.
Imean the above to be a positive and honest response!
Paul Stephenson
Sep 16, 2009 12:18 PM
Sorry, your response - presumably to my posting 'Construction hierarchy' on your newsgroup - hasn't appeared on my system.
I hadn't appreciated that the adhesive would have to be superglue. In working on small ping pong ball models of my own in the past, I've always used a petroleum-based adhesive. I guess you need something really strong if the vast, final structure is to hang together. I tend to use Araldite for a lot of models but of course it's messier to use.
No, unless a suitable adhesive exists which can be used unsupervised - as it would be at level 1 on my hierarchy - my project is scuppered.
Paul Stephenson
Paul Stephenson
Sep 16, 2009 12:23 PM
A detail about templates. I'm sure the P.R. department of a university involved in research with fullerenes would be happy for the university to sponsor production of the templates in return for the appearance of their logo on the things - and perhaps an appropriate display stand at the event.
Paul Stephenson