Lab 27 – Aluminum Foil Boat
Basic Idea
- Aluminum Boat Experiment – Study.com
- Penny Boat Challenge – icps.org (pdf)
- Foil Boats – Discovery.org (pdf)
Additional Thinking
Convert this activity into a high-school lab through
- Technique 20 Lab Measure and Convert
- Technique 21 Devise Experiments
- Technique 22 Data Gathering
- Technique 23 Graphing and Charting Data
- Technique 24 Interpret Results
- Technique 25 Write the Report
Reference Link
Kid Science – make a “tin foil” boat
Science Explanation
Two primary forces: gravity and buoyancy.
Buoyancy is caused by differences in pressure acting on opposite sides of an object immersed in a static fluid. Buoyancy is a result of net force imbalance – upward. The fluid is pushing the boat toward the surface.
The “boat” will continue to float as long as the force of buoyancy is greater than the force of gravity. (Also, the boat must not be overloaded as to tip or leak).