How do i build a standing, 5 foot tower made out of computer paper(8.5 by 11 inches) using tape and scissors?
Answer:
One word: origami.
You can make some tough structures that require no tape at all using origami.
I would make each sheet of paper into an eifel tower (ref 1) and then use tape to mount feet to the top of the tower below. You could also make origami cubes, and then stack them.
You could also stand on the shoulders of giants.
Reference 4 made one that looks to be about 8 feet high.
If you are allowed to fold the paper like a fan that will give you regidity and stability. Build your walls then use a piece for the floor and so on.
It depends on how much paper, and how much tape.
Paper is actually surprisingly strong, it's biggest drawback is being too thin to be able to deal well with compression and shear.
If you have no limit on the paper, the "wiseguy" approach would be to simply buy enough packages of paper to stack 5 feet tall.
Besides that, your best bet is probably to roll the paper into tubes. Tubes are the strongest way to make structures out of a thin material (think bicycles, rockets, airplanes, traffic lights, etc..)
Note: If you are creative, you may not even need much tape, just fold the ends of the tube inwards to prevent it from unrolling.
Then, pinch one end of the tube flat and fold the end in half, making a tapered end, which you can then shove into another tube.
Good luck,
~W.O.M.B.A.T.
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