Name: ____________________________
Date: _______________
11th Grade Summer Lab
Due: August 30, 2011
Science and Mathematics Component:
This component will count as a test grade in both Physics and Mathematics. The objectives of this
assignment are to assess your ability to conduct an investigation, make the proper inferences, and
create an effective science lab report supported by appropriate mathematical explanation. Please feel
free to use outside research sources (i.e. internet, library resources) to provide yourself with
appropriate background knowledge. You may choose to work alone or in groups of up to four
students.
The Assignment: Aluminum Foil Boat Buoyancy Experiment
Part I: Complete the experiment at home. You may work in a group up to four people. For the
experiment you shall construct five boats of different surface areas, using the same basic design, and
determine how the surface area of the aluminum foil affects the cargo carrying capacity of the boat.
NOTE: Try to construct the boats using the least amount of aluminum foil and NO scotch tape.
Part II: Type up a physics lab guided by the rubric provided. You must state the problem, approach,
the materials used, the procedures taken, data and graphs explaining results, analysis and
conclusion. Please use the enclosed rubric as a guide when creating your lab report. Your report
should have seven sections, one for each heading in the rubric.
You MUST hand the lab to Mr. Holloway in Room 300. You may also email your papers before the
first day of school to Ms. Goetz at: goete001@hartfordschools.org . (There will be a general penalty of
one grade reduction per each day late.)
Aluminum Foil Boat Buoyancy Experiment Information:
INTRODUCTION: You know from experience that if you drop a steel bolt in a bucket of water that
it will sink like a rock to the bottom. On the other hand, you know that ships made of steel can float.
How does it work?
What determines whether an object floats or sinks? It's the density (mass per unit volume) of the
object compared to the density of the liquid. If the object is denser than the fluid, it will sink. If the
object is less dense than the fluid, it will float. If the object has the same density as the fluid it will
neither sink nor float.
With a steel-hulled ship, it is the shape of the ship's hull that matters. The hull encloses a volume of
air, so that the total density, defined as:
(mass of steel hull  mass of enclosed air )
volume
is less than that of water.
Name: ____________________________
Date: _______________
Archimedes discovered that an object immersed in water displaces a volume of water equal to the
volume of the object. The displaced water creates an upward force on the object. If the weight of the
displaced water is greater than the weight of the object, the object will float.
In this project you will make some boat hulls of the same shape and different sizes using aluminum
foil. Can you predict how many pennies each of your boats will support without sinking?
PROBLEM: How does the volume (length x width x height) of an aluminum foil boat affect
its buoyancy (the amount of cargo the boat can carry and still stay afloat)?
Independent Variable: Volume of aluminum foil in cm3
Dependent Variable: Buoyancy Force in number of floated pennies.
ABSTRACT: For this experiment, you shall construct five boats of different volumes, using the same
basic design, and determine how the volume of the boat affects the cargo carrying capacity
(buoyancy) of the boat.
MATERIALS: 5 aluminum foil squares of the following sizes:
32 cm x 32 cm
28 cm x 28 cm
24 cm x 24 cm
20 cm x 20 cm
16 cm x 16 cm
Ruler
Pennies
Calculator (Graphing type preferred)
Measuring Cup (optional)
APPROACH:
Each individual (or group) will construct 5 different aluminum boats using 5 different sizes of
aluminum foil. The volumes of each boat will be calculated and will be plotted on a graph (x-axis)
with the number of pennies each boat can float (y-axis) for a total of 5 data points. Each group will
try to determine the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
PROCEDURE:
1) Construct your five boats using the 5 pieces of aluminum foil specified in the materials list.
NOTE: Try to construct the boats for a maximum cargo capacity, using NO scotch tape.
2) Start with the smallest boat. Calculate the volume of each boat hull. Below are two alternative
methods you could use. (Or, you could use both methods, and compare your results. Which method
is more accurate?)
a. Ruler Method
 Use the ruler to measure the length, width, and height of your boat hull.
Name: ____________________________
Date: _______________
 Volume (in cm3 equals length × width × height (each measured in cm).
 If parts of the hull have an irregular shape, measure the volume piece-wise.
Use triangles to approximate any areas of the hull that are curved or angled.
Use rectangular prisms for regular areas of the hull. Calculate the volume of
each (imagined) subsection. Add up the volumes of the individual regions to
get the total volume for each hull.
b.Dry Rice Method
 Carefully fill the boat hull with dry rice. The rice should be level with the top
of the hull.
 Being careful not to damage the hull, pour the dry rice into the measuring cup
(or graduated cylinder).
 Gently shake the cup (or cylinder) to level the rice.
 Read the volume of the dry rice, in ml (1 ml = 1 cm3). This is the volume of
your boat hull.
Enter the measurements of your boats in the table below. Multiply the length by the width by the
height to calculate the volume of the boats.
Foil Size
Length (cm)
x
Width (cm)
x
Height (cm)
=
Volume (cm3)
16 cm x 16
cm
________ cm
x
________ cm
x
________ cm
=
________ cm3
20 cm x 20
cm
________ cm
x
________ cm
x
________ cm
=
________ cm3
24 cm x 24
cm
________ cm
x
________ cm
x
________ cm
=
________ cm3
28 cm x 28
cm
________ cm
x
________ cm
x
________ cm
=
________ cm3
32 cm x 32
cm
________ cm
x
________ cm
x
________ cm
=
________ cm3
The numbers in the Volume column are for the x-axis on your graph.
3. Measure the buoyancy of each boat hull.
a. Carefully float the hull in the container of water.
b. Gently add one penny at a time. Note that some boat shapes will be "tippier" than
others. For these you will have to pay careful attention to balancing the load (left to
right, front and back—or port to starboard, fore and aft, if you're feeling nautical) as
you add pennies.
c. Keep adding pennies until the boat finally sinks. Count how many pennies each
boat could support before sinking (i.e., the penny that sank the boat does not count.
d. Repeat this for each boat. Enter the number of pennies floated in the table below.
Name: ____________________________
Foil Size
Date: _______________
# of Pennies Floated
16 cm x 16 cm
20 cm x 20 cm
24 cm x 24 cm
28 cm x 28 cm
32 cm x 32 cm
The number of pennies is for the y-axis on your graph.
4.
Make a graph of buoyancy, measured in number of pennies supported (y-axis) vs. boat hull
volume, in cm3 (x-axis). What do your results tell you about the relationship between
buoyancy (number of pennies a boat can support) and volume of the boat hull?
APPLICABLE FORMULAS (FOR FUTURE REFERENCE):
Density = mass per unit volume:

m
V
 (Greek letter Rho): density in kg/m3
m: mass in kg
V: volume in m3
Buoyancy force = weight of fluid displaced by object:
FB  W  Vg
FB : buoyancy force in kg m/sec2=Newtons
W:
:
V:
g:
weight of displaced fluid in kg m/sec2=Newtons
density of fluid in kg/m3
volume of displaced fluid in m3
acceleration due to gravity= 9.8 m/sec2 on earth
Name: ____________________________
Date: _______________
Title of Graph (Be descriptive): ______________________________________________________
x-axis – Enter the volume of your boats
y-axis (Dependent
Variable) –
Plot the number of
pennies floated in
the boat. Be sure to
number consistently
and label the scale!
x-axis (Independent Variable) – Plot the volume of each boat.
Be sure to number consistently and label the scale!
Name: ____________________________
Date: _______________
Classical Magnet School Physics Lab Rubric
Item
Problem
Approach
Materials
Exemplary
Acceptable
Limited
Deficient
Clearly, properly, and
unambiguously stated as a
question. Independent
and dependent variables
accurately identified.
Clearly and properly
stated as a question.
Independent and
Dependent variables
accurately identified.
Concise and precise
summary of methodology
to be used to answer
problem.
Clear and complete,
bulleted, listing of items
used in performance of
the investigation.
Accurate summary of
methodology to be used
to answer problem.
Problem statement
may be unclear or
independent and
dependent variables
misidentified or
reversed.
Stated methodology
contains some
inaccuracies or is
unclear.
Listing of items may
have some missing
items used in
performance of the
investigation.
Step-by-step
instructions are
incomplete or contain
errors. Method for
conducting the
investigation would
be difficult to
reproduce.
Minor omissions or
errors are present in
the presentation of
information
contained in the data,
tables, and graphs.
Problem statement
displays a lack of
understanding of the
concepts being explored
and variables
misidentified.
Stated methodology has
little relation to solving
problem.
Clear, bulleted, listing of
items used in
performance of the
investigation.
Procedures
Accurate, complete, and
original step-by-step
instructions detailing a
reproducible method for
conducting the
investigation.
Numbered step-by-step
instructions detailing a
reproducible method for
conducting the
investigation.
Data &
Graphs
Pertinent information
gathered is presented
without error in an easy to
read format (tables when
appropriate) and precisely
labeled. Graphs have
descriptive titles including
all seven applicable labels.
All information gathered
is presented in an easy to
read format (tables when
appropriate) and clearly
labeled. Graphs have
descriptive titles including
all seven applicable labels.
Mathematical
manipulation of data
proceeds in a flawless,
logical, and progressive
manner. Derived
equations are presented as
complete functions of the
investigated variables.
Units in formulas properly
depicted.
Conclusions are flawlessly
synthesized from a proper
analysis. Written
statement of analysis
demonstrates mastery of
problem’s solution.
Includes proper error
analysis where applicable.
Mathematical
manipulation of data
proceeds in a logical and
progressive manner.
Derived equations are
presented as functions of
the investigated variables.
Mathematical
manipulation of data
may contain minor
errors or omissions.
Derived equations
may not be presented
as functions of the
investigated variables.
Conclusions are
coherently and accurately
synthesized from a proper
analysis. Written
statement of analysis
results properly answers
problem. Includes any
applicable error analysis.
Conclusions contain
minor gaps in
understanding or
misstatements of
scientific fact.
Applicable error
analysis contains
flaws or is missing.
Analysis
Conclusion
Listing of items used in
performance of the
investigation is missing
or contains major
omissions.
Procedures outlined do
not accurately describe
what should have been
performed by the group.
Incorrect, inaccurate, or
incomplete information
is gathered in a
haphazard or hastily
manner due to time
mismanagement. Major
omissions and errors are
present in the data,
tables, and graphs.
Inaccurate or
incomplete
manipulation of data
does not demonstrate
understanding of the
concepts or data being
studied.
Conclusions do not
reflect a logical
synthesis of the data
nor address the stated
problem. Errors are not
discussed.