Delights Activities The Möbius Strip
scidiv.bellevuecollege.edu/math/Mobius.html
1. Start with a long rectangle (ABCD) made of paper.
2. Give the rectangle a half twist.
3. Join the ends so that A is matched with D and B is matched with C.
Named after nineteenth century mathematician August Ferdinand Möbius, the Möbius strip (made by making a half-twist in a long rectangle, then joining the short ends to create a continuous loop), has only one side and one edge—a fact that has practical as well as theoretical implications: e.g. giant Möbius strips are used as industrial conveyor belts to ensure even wear.
Möbius strips also reveal some surprising properties. Discover some of them on this page of the Bellevue College math department: scidiv.bellevuecollege.edu/math/Mobius.html. You may find them behaving in unexpected ways once you get hands-on.
To uncover even more Möbius mysteries, visit Möbius Dissection (www.exo.net/~pauld/activities/mobius/mobiusdissection.html).
Note: The graphics on this page are from scidiv.bellevuecollege.edu/math/Mobius.html.
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