Competitive Event (one team of 2 to 3 members per school per session) – SSC-B107
Dr. J. Taylor (Physics Department)
Objective: To build a boat out of aluminum foil that will hold the most pennies before taking on water.
Procedure:
1. Teams consist of a minimum of two or a maximum of three students. Only one
team per school (per session) may enter the competition.
2. Each team will be given a 15 cm x 20 cm piece of aluminum foil, a pair of
scissors, and a 30 cm ruler.
3. Twenty-five (25) minutes will be alloted for the construction of the boats.
The boats will then be turned over to the judges.
4. The boats will be tested by the team members to determine which one holds
the most pennies before taking on water either through a leak or over the edge.
HINT: Archimedes' Principle - A body fully or partially immersed in a fluid is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid that the body displaces.
The optimal boat design will depend on the thickness of the aluminum foil used. Contestants will not be notified of the thickness prior to the competition.