CONTEXT:

The need to travel across oceans, lakes and rivers has challenged civilizations since the earliest of times. As a result people have designed all kinds of watercraft - from rafts to aircraft carriers - to meet their particular needs. The most important aspects of designing any craft are buoyancy, stability, and a controllable method of propulsion.

Other aspects of a craft's design depend upon its purpose.  For racing boats, speed is the highest priority, so designs that are the fastest are considered best.  For transport ships that carry valuable cargoes, load-carrying capacity may be more important than speed.

Designers must find the best combination of speed, capacity, and suitability for specific types of cargo.  The "Clipper" ships that carried cargo from China to England were built for speed as well as capacity, because the ship that arrived back first in England would get the best price for its cargo.  Today, huge oil tankers are designed more for capacity than speed - but, given the risk of oil spills, safety has become an important goal in their design.

CHALLENGE:

EXPLORATORY
Research and model a type of watercraft. Your model should be buoyant (float in water) and stable (remain upright). Explain the significance of the design in regard to hull shape and stability in the water.

INTERMEDIATE
Construct a craft out of paper that will carry a mousetrap across a small pool of water using only wind power. The reason for the mousetrap is that it will just barely float by itself.  In order to win the competition, a craft must be built to carry the mousetrap. You have 10 minutes to design and build your craft. The mousetrap can be disassembled but all parts must be in the craft when the contest begins and ends. The craft will be placed one inch from the end of the pool at the start.  One selected team member may blow upon the craft to propel it across the pool. The time will start when the craft is placed in the water, and will end when it touches the other side of the pool. Once in the pool, no one may touch the craft.
 
ADVANCED
With a teammate, research, design, and construct a model of an electric boat that can travel quickly along a twelve-foot course. You will be provided with a DC Motor and three (3) 1.5 volt (AA Batteries) along with various other materials to accomplish your task.

MATERIALS:

EXPLORATORY

• One 12" x 12" sheet of poster board
• 8 ounces of modeling clay for ballast
• One roll of clear tape

INTERMEDIATE

• One standard mousetrap
• Two sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" paper
• Scissors
• One roll of Transparent Tape

ADVANCED

• 1 plastic grocery bag
• 1 DC Motor
• 1 pc. 6" x 16" Pink Foam
• 1 pc. 1/8" x 4" x 12" Plywood
• 1/4" x 3/411 x 30" pine
• 1 drinking straw
• 1 pc. 10" phone wire
• 1/8" welding or brazing rod 12" long
• 1/16" welding or brazing rod 12" long
• 24" of 1/4" wood dowel
• 1 ink pen
• Assorted rubber bands
• Empty aluminum soda can
• 3 1.5 volt AA batteries

CRITERIA:

Your success on this Challenge will be based on your completion of the activities below. Three general criteria for your performance will be: your participation in the activity; the accuracy of your measurement and model construction; and the performance of your design.  Your teacher will help you understand how your performance will be graded.

EXPLORATORY
Show a working knowledge of at least one boat design and incorporate this knowledge into your design. Use only the materials provided, approval is need to use any other material The craft must be buoyant (float) and remain upright in the water.

INTERMEDIATE
Design and construct your craft within allotted time frame.  Race craft in the pool provided following all rules.

ADVANCED

• Design, sketch, and build your craft
• Test your boat to see if it will cross the pool powered by the motor and no more than two 1.5 volt batteries.
• Complete the construction of your model
• Prepare and make your report