Calculating Buoyancy
(# Pennies)
Penny Barge Design
Mr. Yersak
Livingston High School
Technology & Design I
Dimension your vessel
Length – Width - Height
2”
3”
4”
Determine the Volume of the
Barge
2”
3”
4”
HOW TO:
• LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT = VOLUME
24 cu. in.
How many inches are there in a
cubic foot?
1,728
Divide the Barge Volume by the #
of cubic inches in a cubit foot
24 cu. in. / 1728 = .013 cubic feet
2”
3”
4”
The weight of water
64 pounds per cubic
foot
Determine the pounds of water
displaced by the barge.
HOW TO:
• .013 cubic feet x 64 lbs. per c^3 ft.
=.832 pounds displaced
Determine the mass of the
barge
2”
Aprox. 100 Grams
4”
3”
Grams in a Pound?
1 pound = 453.6 grams
Convert grams to pounds
2”
.22 pounds
4”
HOW TO:
• 100 / 453.6 = .22 pounds
3”
Subtract weight of barge from
weight of displaced water to find
penny load
HOW TO:
• .832- .22
= .612 pounds of pennies
Convert penny load lbs. into
mass:
HOW TO:
• .612 x 453.6
= 277 grams of pennies
What is the mass of a penny?
2.78 grams
Estimated pennies the barge
can hold.
HOW TO:
• 277 grams of pennies / 2.78 mass
of pennies
= 99 pennies
THE HMS YERSAK  AFTER IT HIT
NATHAN’S BOAT