Aluminum Foil Boats
Explore how shape and size affects how much weight a boat can hold.
What You Need
- Aluminum foil (5 sheets - 1 small, 3 medium and 1 large, per student)
- Plastic bin or sink with 2 inches of water
- Weights (coins, marbles, dry rice or beans, small rocks from outside, etc.)
Guide:
Safety Notes
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What To Do
Does size make a difference to how much weight a boat can hold?
- Using the three different sizes of aluminum foil sheets, students will make three boats of different sizes but in the same shape. Instruct students to make a high rim around their boat (see photo in guide).
- Have students place their small boat in the water.
- They can add weights to the small boat and count the number of weights it can hold before the boat sinks. If they are using something small like rice, measure the amount it held by dumping the rice into a cup.
- Have students do the same with the medium sized boat and the large boat.
- Ask "does size make a difference to how much weight a boat can hold?"
Does shape make a difference to how much weight a boat can hold?
- Using the other two medium sized pieces of aluminum foil, students will make two different shaped boats. Encourage students to be creative!
- Have students test to see which shaped boat can hold the most weight.
- Ask "does shape make a difference to how much weigh a boat can hold?"
Discovery
Boats carrying heavy materials are often very large and made out of heavy materials like metal. Although boats are often made of heavy materials or carry heavy loads, boats are built to have a lot of air spaces in them. Air is less dense than water and so the boats can float. If there is too much weight on a boat, or the boat gets a hole in it and enough water moves into the boat, the boat will sink.
What's Happening?
Boats carrying heavy materials are often very large and made out of heavy materials like metal. Although boats are often made of heavy materials or carry heavy loads, boats are built to have a lot of air spaces in them. Air is less dense than water and so the boats can float. If there is too much weight on a boat, or the boat gets a hole in it and enough water moves into the boat, the boat will sink.
