Goals:

The students will conduct an experiment focusing on how heavy ship float.

The students will be able to better understand why a ship floats after completing the experiment.

Materials:

20 paper clips per student

aluminum foil

ruler

bucket of water

Time:

This experiment should take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes

Procedures:

1.  First explain to the students the purpose of this experiment.

2.  Have each student write down why they believe heavy ships can float and what they think is going to happen in this experiment.

3.  After the students make their hypothesis and give an explanation let them begin the following experiment.

4.  Cut two 12 inch squares from the aluminum foil.

5.  Wrap one of the metal squares around 10 paper clips and squeeze the foil into a tight ball.

6.  Fold the four edges of the second aluminum square up to make a small one square pan.

7.  Place 10 paper clips in the metal pan.

8.  Set the metal pan on the water's surface in the bucket.

9.  Place the metal ball on the water's surface.

10.  Have the students record what happens when they do steps eight and nine.

11.  The metal pan should float and the ball should sink. Have the students write an explanation of why this
happened.

12.  Discuss buoyancy with the students and how it allows huge ships like the Titanic to float. Include surface area, water displacement, & weight displacement in your discussion.

Assessment:

Criteria for success: The students must write out their observations and hypothesis. If they write out a hypothesis and record their observations, they will be successful. The observations must be accurate.

Curricular Strands and Major Concepts:

Physics - learning about buoyancy and why an object can float

Language Arts - reading and following directions, writing observations

The Titanic - developed by Kelly Coleman, Nikki Cosgrove, Megan Mills, & Dorothy Weber

Back to Second Week Outline

This page submitted by St. Norbert College Ocean Voyagers Program.