Can you fold a piece of paper more than seven times?

Did you know it's almost impossible to fold a single sheet of paper in half more than seven times?

Every time you fold the paper in half, the surface area halves, and the number of layers of paper doubles. By fold 6, there are 64 layers of paper to fold.

Mythbusters managed 11 folds, but they had a football field-sized sheet of paper, a forklift truck and a steamroller!

We've experimented with paper big and small and haven't yet managed more than 7.

How many times can you fold a piece of paper?

Print my investigation sheet and give it a go!

While you've got the paper out, give one of my other paper based science experiments a go!

Last Updated on February 9, 2024 by Emma Vanstone