Floating and Sinking

In this unit, students investigate the phenomenon of buoyancy. They begin by making a spring scale with which they weigh various objects. They make clay boats, test their boats' buoyancy, and discover that altering the shape of the boats affects buoyancy. Students are then challenged to design a boat that has a certain loading capacity. These experiments allow them to witness several surprising phenomena; for example, some "floaters" are heavier than some "sinkers," and large objects are not always heavier than smaller objects. Students then turn their attention to differences between objects placed in fresh water and in salt water. They construct a hydrometer that compares the levels at which objects float in both types of water.

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Floating and Sinking

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