College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
2B40.28 - Metal & Concrete Boats - Buoyancy vs. Surface Area
Cut a large piece of aluminum foil and fold it in half. Press this into the boat mold and cut off the excess so that the boat is 1 to 2 inches high. Place this into the Plexiglas tank and observe how it floats. Add aluminum blocks as desired. Take the boat out of the water and crush into a small cube with a hammer. When placed back into the water this cube will sink even though it has the same mass as the original hull.
Several concrete boats are available. Gently place them into the water. Masses up to about 500 grams can be added as long as you are careful when placing the masses so that you don't tip the boat.
A non-boat version of this is to place an ice cube in a beaker of salad oil. The ice cube will float about half way down. As it melts, it will continue to sink in the salad oil.
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- Prof. Robert Griffith, "Toy Boats", Boy's Useful Pastimes, p. 37.
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