Boat Building Project

Grant Wood Education Agency, IA
 


Design Statement

A team of two will design and build clay boats that will withstand the most amount of added weights before sinking.
 

Design Parameters

The team will have fifteen minutes to construct tow clay boats. There are no restrictions for the boat size, weight or design, however no devices (rolling pins, etc.) may be use to shape or form the boats. Weights will be added until the boat sinks.
 

Material Limitations

Two 125-gram packages of Plasticine or non-water soluble modeling clay are the only construction materials used. Team members may pool their clay. A soda straw, weights and a large container of water are necessary for the testing procedure.
 

Testing Conditions

Float one of the boats in the container of water. One member of the team will add uniform weights one at a time until the boat sinks, while the second team member keeps the boat from touching the sides of the container with the soda straw. As the boat becomes sinkable, the judge will request that a second or more elapse between the weight additions. The test will be repeated for the second boat. The winner will be based upon the mass of the weight added before the boat sinks. The weights will be dried and weighed after each trial. The team score will be determined by the sum of the added mass for the tow entries, with the highest being declared the winner. A tie will be broken by giving the teams 110 grams of clay to construct one boat. Repeat the testing procedure.