Create an object that only has one side – known as a Möbius strip.
What you need:
- a long strip of paper
- sticky tape
- scissors
- pen/marker
What to do:
- Take the strip of paper and bend the ends together.
- Twist one of the ends over 180 degrees, and stick the ends together.
- You have now created a Möbius strip. To prove it only has one side, take the pen/marker and drawn a line along the middle, without lifting up the pen. You will be able to draw down the entire length of the shape.
- Cut along the line you have drawn. What shape do you end up with?
- Cut along the centre of the shape again. What happens this time?
What happens:
The Möbius strip only has one side because it twists over on itself, allowing you to draw down the entire length without lifting the pen. When you cut a Möbius strip along its length, you get a loop with two twists in it. If you cut this along its length again, you get two interlocked strips, each with two loops twisted around each other.
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