Art and Architecture

Cover......Page 1
Experimenting with Everyday Science: Art and Architecture......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
Introduction......Page 8
Safety Precautions......Page 9
1 Science and the Origin of Art......Page 12
Testing the Properties of Wood......Page 15
Testing the Properties of Rocks......Page 19
Testing the Properties of Sediment......Page 25
Testing Stress on Metal......Page 32
Creating Primitive Pigments......Page 37
Making Paper......Page 42
2 Light and Color......Page 47
Making Shadows......Page 48
Separating and Blending Colors of Light......Page 54
How Light Affects Pigments......Page 59
Mixing Pigments......Page 64
Separating Pigments......Page 70
3 Capturing Images......Page 74
Diffuse vs. Regular Re ection......Page 75
Exploring Symmetry......Page 81
Maintaining Proportions at a Distance......Page 86
How Image Depth Affects Perspective......Page 91
Refracting and Focusing Light......Page 99
How a Camera Obscura Works......Page 104
4 The Art of Architecture......Page 108
Building a Stable Brick Wall......Page 110
Building Pyramids......Page 115
How Column Shape Affects Weight Support......Page 122
How Tension and Compression Affect a Beam......Page 127
5 Spanning the Globe......Page 132
How an Arch Supports a Load......Page 134
Triangular Supports......Page 140
How Bridge Shape Affects Supported Load......Page 145
Spreading the Weight in a Building’s Foundation......Page 151
6 What the Future Holds......Page 156
Glossary......Page 165
Bibliography......Page 167
Further Resources......Page 168
Picture Credits......Page 170
Index......Page 171
About the Author......Page 175