Activity: Float a Clay Boat
Posted on September 20th, 2007 by ASEE
Students use modeling clay to make a boat that will float in a tub of water. The object is to build a boat that will hold as much weight as possible without sinking. In the process of designing and testing their boats, students discover some of the basic principles of boat design and gain first-hand experience with concepts such as buoyancy and density.
Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12 | Comments Off on Activity: Float a Clay Boat
Tags: Class Activities, Design, Engineering Design, Engineering Design Process, Water
Students build a model car then move it with their breath. They learn that air pushing against an object can make it move, and consider how engineers use this principle in the design of cars, boats, and other structures.
