Posted on Leave a comment

Where inside and outside are one and the same – the mobius strip experiment.

Mobius strip is a two dimensional strip appearing three dimensional and never ending

Mobius strip experiment

Just when you thought you understand the simple little concepts like up and down, forwards and backwards, and inside and outside, Geek Slop comes along and throws a curve ball at you – or rather, a curved piece of paper that will blow your mind.

  1. Cut a 2 inch strip of paper.
  2. Holding the strip out straight, give it a half twist (180 degrees) and attach the two ends together.
  3. Take a pen and draw a line along the center of the strip.
Green mobius strip diagram

Surprised? Where do you end up? Is the line drawn on the inside or outside of the paper? Now cut the strip along the line you drew. How many chains do you get?

Your chain is called a Mobius strip, which is a shape described by a science called topology. When you twisted your strip, the inside and outside became one continuous surface. And when you cut the strip, it became one longer chain but still has only one continuous surface. Now, try the experiment again but this time give the paper a full twist. You’ll be even more surprised by the results.

What is a Mobius Strip?

3D Klein bottle illustration

A Mobius Strip is a two-dimensional surface with only one side and only one boundary. The Mobius Strip has many interesting properties. For example, it has no orientation, meaning that it appears the same no matter which side is facing up. If you start at any point on the surface and follow the edge, you will end up back where you started, but on the opposite side of the strip. This is because the strip has only one side.

The Mobius Strip is a popular mathematical object often used to teach concepts in topology and geometry. It is also used in engineering and design, such as in conveyor belts that need to have both sides of the belt come into contact with the product being conveyed.

In addition to the traditional Mobius Strip, there are also variations such as the Klein Bottle, which is a three-dimensional surface with similar properties. The Mobius Strip and its variations continue to fascinate mathematicians and scientists and have applications in many fields.

Parent/Teacher/Advanced Notes

During the early 1800’s, the works of German mathematician August Ferdinand Mobius helped develop a study in geometry that became known as topology. Topology explores the properties of a geometrical figure that do not change when the figure is bent or stretched. sides. The Mobius strip is named after August F. Mobius, the German mathematician who discovered it.

Experiment Supplies

Supplies: Tape, Paper

Image Credits

In-Article Image Credits

3D Klein bottle illustration via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - Creative Commons License. August 15, 2019
Mobius strip is a two dimensional strip appearing three dimensional and never ending via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - Creative Commons License. February 21, 2012
Green mobius strip diagram via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - Creative Commons License. June 8, 2013

Featured Image Credit

Mobius strip is a two dimensional strip appearing three dimensional and never ending via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - Creative Commons License. February 21, 2012

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *