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Roofer
Installs and repairs roofs — from traditional tiles to modern green roofs and solar panels.
Did you know?
Over 250 roofs in southern England still hide base layers of thatch that were laid more than 500 years ago.
How subjects help
- Mathematics: Calculate a roof's area and steepness to order the right number of tiles.
- Physics: Overlap tiles and slope a roof so rain and snow run off instead of leaking in.
- Engineering: Fix solar panels and green roofs so the structure below can safely carry their weight.
Try it yourself: Which roof shape handles snow?
- Make three roofs to rest across the box or books: one flat, one folded into an A shape and one bent into a curve. Fold the card rather than cutting it, and tape each so it holds its shape.
- Guess which shape will cope best with heavy snow.
- Put one roof over the tray and slowly sprinkle spoonfuls of "snow" (flour) onto the middle. Does it pile up, slide off or make the roof sag?
- Test the other two the same way, with the same number of spoonfuls. Which shape would you build in a snowy country?
Roofers and designers choose the slope and shape of a roof for the local weather, so snow slides off before its weight can damage the roof.
Adapted from TeachEngineering (University of Colorado Boulder): Simple Snow Load Roof Model Demo: Which Roof Is Tops?.
Also try: Make a window like stained glass.
Known for it in
USA, Germany, UK, Australia, Netherlands