Math IA

An investigation on how many times

a paper can be folded by half from
a pre-known area paper
Vụ gấp giấy cũng được,
Nhưng mà hướng tiếp cận nhất định phải sử dụng HL content
Và không được copy function người khác
Không được đặt invalid assumption

Data collection
I used a standard printing paper with the size of 20 x 30 x 0.1 mm. With a, b are length of
the sides of the paper, c is the thickness of the whole piece of paper, meaning that it is the
height of total layers made from folding the paper.

Table 1. Expected value of size of the paper after being folded.

Area=a ×b

Number of a b c area volume

folding time (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm2) (cm3)
0 20 30 0.01 600 6
1 20 15 0.02 300 6
2 10 15 0.04 150 6
3 10 7.5 0.08 75 6
4 5 7.5 0.16 37.5 6
5 5 3.25 0.32 18.125 6
6 2.5 3.25 0.64 9.375 6
7 2.5 1.625 1.28 4.687 6
8 1.25 1.625 2.56 2.343 6
Table 2. Actual value of size of the paper after being folded.
Number of a b c area volume
folding time (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm2) (cm3)
0 20 30 0.01 600 6
1 20 14.9 0.02 298 5.96
2 9.85 14.9 0.04 146.765 5.871
3 9.85 7.36 0.08 72.496 5.8
4 4.4 7.36 0.16 32.384 5.181
5 4.4 3.6 0.32 15.84 5.068
6 2.13 3.6 0.64 7.668 4.907
7 2.13 1.52 1.28 3.238 4.144
8 Unable to fold

So, in fact, after everytime I fold the paper, the actual length of a or b is smaller than it is
calculated by dividing for two. That is why there is difference between the actual area and
volume of the folded paper compared to the expected one.
The reason for this value losing trend, it is because of the increasing of both in area and
volume of the bending section.

Firgue 1. A paper that is folded 4 times

Meaning that, the actual area or volume of a paper after folding (measured in the range of
folded section) equals to:
(with n is the number of folding time)
 1
Areaof actually measured folded paper = Areaof original paper × n
−area of bending section
2
Volume of actually measured folded paper
¿ Volume of original paper−volume of bending section

For a paper to exist, both of the value of area and volume must be positive.
To find out the limitation of number of folding time (or the largest posible n), we will
structure the above equations with aspect to find out the formula to calculate the area and
volume of bending section.
To find the area and volume of the bending section, we assume it is a hemisphere.

Firgue 2. A hemisphere
Similar to sphere properties, a hemisphere has the formula of volume and surface area by
half of a sphere. (Note that the folded section has no flat surface area of a hemisphere)
2 3
V= π r
3
2
A=2 π r
From the above recorded data, we have a set of surface area and volume of folded section
Here, “lose” is used with the meaning that the area and volume is not contributed to the
folded section.
Number of Area “loses” for Volume “loses” r
folding time bending section for bending section (of
(Area from actual (Volume from actual hemisphere)
measurement – expected area) measurement – expected volume) = half the
thickness
0 0 0 0
1 2 0.04 0.01
2 3.235 0.129 0.02
 3 2.504 0.2 0.04
4 5.116 0.819 0.08
5 2.285 0.932 0.16
6 1.707 1.093 0.32
7 1.449 1.856 0.64
8 Unable to determine 1.28
The above table shows each time the paper is folded, an amount of area and volume lose
for bending section. After 7 times, accumulation of area and volume in the bending
section are:
For the area:
= 0 + 2 + 3.235 + 2.504 + 5.116 + 2.285 + 1.707 + 1.449
= 18,296 cm2
For the volume:
= 0 + 0.04 + 0.129 + 0.2 + 0.819 + 0.932 + 1.093 + 1.856
= 5.609 cm3
We can observe an increasing in both volume and area lose for bending section. However,
the area that does not contribute to the surface area of folding section seems smaller than
it is needed, but the volume keeps increasing high enough that we can assume that for the
8th folding time, the volume loses for bending section is even higher than the original one
(meaning that it is impossible to be folded as there is no real paper can produce more
volume than itself).
Use a simple linear regression to find the relationship between the losing volume and the
increasing of expected thickness to predict the value of losing volume for the 8 th time of
folding:
y=1.393 x +0.1896

With y is the losing volume, x is the thickness.

 Diagram 1. Linear regression modelling relationship
between losing volume and thickness
For the 8th time of folding, the expected thickness is 2.56, then, the losing volume can be:
y=1.393 × 2.56+0.1896 y=3.756

So, the accumulation of losing volume for folding 8 times will be:
Total losing volume=5.609+3.756=9.365

As 9.365 > 6, meaning that the paper itself has no more availability to contribute more
volume for the bending section. Then, it is impossible to fold my 20 x 30 x 0.01cm
paper more than 7 times.

From the above investigation, we find out that the factor that limit the number of folding
time available for a paper that is the volume of the paper. Compared the difference
between the area and volume, then, the thickness is the main factor that decides the
number of avilable folding time of a paper.

Take a closer look at how a fold is made. When you fold a paper in half, instead of
cutting it into half, it will always make a rounded portion where it links between 2 layers.
 Firgue 3. A rounded edge when you fold a paper one time
Everytime you fold the paper, some part of the layers will contribute to this rounded
portion. Based on the shape of hemisphere that is shown in firgue 1, this rounded portion
has the radius equals to half of the thickness of the whole folded paper.
At the beginning (or for some first folding times), this rounded portion takes not so much
space from the paper. But the more you fold, this rounded portion will take a greater
percentage of the paper volume. From the above experiment and calculation, we find out
that once this rounded portion need more volume so the paper could be folded one more
time is larger than the original volume, then the paper reaches its limitation of folding
time.
However, how many exact time a paper can be folded if we have known its size?
Because the rounded portion (or bending section) is a hemisphere, and the radius is a
semicircle, then, to form a hemisphere, the ratio between the length of folded section to
the height (or thickness of the whole folding paper) must be higher than π .
The radius of this rounded portion (which is hemisphere shaped) is contributed from the
thickness of the paper. Then, for everytime we fold it, the folded section must contribute
c π (with c is thickness). It means, in n th fold, the total length lost from the folded section
for the increasing of thickness and radius is:
n −1
Length of folded section lost=cπ +2 cπ +3 cπ +…+2 cπ
This is an accumulation process, meaning that after n th fold, the total length of folded
section that lost is:
Total length lost =cπ + ( cπ +2 cπ ) + ( cπ +2 cπ +3 cπ + 4 cπ )+…+(cπ +2 cπ +3 cπ + …+2n−1 cπ )