LibbyStein

Science8
ElainaKwiatkowski,SamKany
1/28/14
HowManyPenniesCanTinfoilHold

BackgroundInformation:
Foreaseofconstruction,thehullofacargoboatshouldbearectangularbox.It
mustbewideforadequatesurfacetensioninordertoholdmorecargo,andforadequate
strength,itmustbedeep.Anextensionofthecontainershipconceptisthebargecarrying
ship.Inthisconcept,thecontainerisitselfafloatingvessel,usuallyabout60feetlongby
about30feetwide.Thisistomaketheboatmorehydrodynamicsoessentiallythelength
towidthoftheboatisaratioof2:1.Accuratelypredictingashipscargoisvitalbecause
unequaldistributionofcargothroughoutashipcouldleadtotheshipfloatingatunwanted
anglessuchasatasidewaysinclination.

Purpose:
Thepurposeofthislabwastotesthowmanypenniesanaluminiumboatmadeout
oftinfoilcouldcarry.Thepurposewasalsotoseewhatfactorssuchassurfaceareaand
shapewouldinfluencehowbuoyanttheboatwas.

Hypothesis:
Iftheboathasalargeamountofsurfaceareaonthebottom,thenitwillbeableto
carrymorepennies,becausebuoyancywillhaveagreatereffectonit.

Variables:
Independent:Theshapeoftheboat
Dependent:Theamountofpenniesthattheboatcancarry.
Materials:
Apencil
Five6by6piecesoftinfoil
Abucket
TapWater
Atimer
Camera

Procedure
1. Thesidesofthetinfoilwerefoldedupequallengthsbymakingeachsideathumb
lengthlong
2. Indexfingernailwasusedtotoaddacreasearoundthetopoftheperimeterofthe
sidescreatedinstepone.
3. Theedgesoftheboatwerepinchedtogetherthenfoldedtotheside.
4. Acreasewasaddedalongthecentreofthebottomoftheboat.
5. Tapwaterwasaddedtothebucket,makingsurethatthewaterwastallerthanthe
sidesoftheboat.
6. Theboatwasputinthewater,makingsurethattheedgesdidnottouchthesidesof
thebucket.
7. Pennieswereaddedatthreesecondintervalsuntiltheboatsank
8. Onepennywastakenoutandtherestwerecounted.
9. Theboatthatheldthemostpennieswasthenremade
10. Theedgesofthewinningboatwerethenroundedbypushingthebottomedge
againstatabletoflattentheedges.
11. Asmallcreasewasaddedaroundtheperimeterofthetopoftheboatusingthe
step2.
12. Thewinningboatwasalsomodifiedbyaddingarimaroundtheperimeterofthetop
oftheboat.
13. Steps57werethenrepeatedfortheclasscompetition.
14. Imagesofthewinningboatweretaken

Results

ClassCompetitionResults(Figure1)
Group NumberofPennies Place
Sam
LibbyGroup:A
Elaina
72Pennies 3
Harry
JulieGroup:B
Alessia
79Pennies 2
Alexa
DanGroup:C
Seth
69Pennies 5
Ashley
KaylaGroup:D
Dean
93Pennies 1Boat:D
John
MaddyGroup:E
Tess
70Pennies 4

GroupAResults(Figure2)
Name NumberofPennies
SamanthaBoat:A 25
LibbyBoat:B 37
ElainaBoat:C 45

Figure3

Figure4Figure5
GroupA,BoatB,seeninFigure3,held37pennies.Ithadaroundshapewithacrease
downthebottomoftheboat,andarimsurroundingthetopofthesides.Itssidesextended
outward,andtherewasasmallholecloseonWallB.TheBoatCfromGroupA,isseenin
Figure5,thisboatwasthewinningboatofGroupAandhelp40pennies.Theboatinthis
picturehadalargebottom,however,roundededgesandsmallrimaroundtheperimeterof
thetopofthesideswerebothaddedonlater.BoatDfromGroupD,seeninFigure4had
roundededgesandanovalshape.Ithadaflatbottomandsidesthatextendedoutwards.It
isseeninfigure4.BoatAsankafterholding25pennies,BoatBafter37andBoatCafter
45.ImprovementsmadetoBoatCincluded:roundingtheedges,addingacreasealong
theperimeterofthetopofthesides,havingsidesextendoutwardsasopposedtoinwards,
andincreasingthesurfaceareaofthebottomoftheboat.Theseimprovementsledtothe
boatholding72penniesintheclasscompetition,whenwaterleakedinfromthetopofthe
boat,untilitscollapse.

Discussion
Itwasexpected,basedonthebackgroundinformationthataboatthathadarectangular
shapeandhadaratioof2:1forlengthtowidth,wouldbeabletocarrymorecargo.This
however,wasnotthecaseforBoatA,andBoatB,BoatBisshowninFigure3.While
cargoshipsandbargeshipsarebuilttobemorehydrodynamic,theboatsinthis
experimentwerenotmoving,andthereforeneededagreatersurfaceareaonthebottom,
inordertoholdmorecargo.BoatB,hadasmallholebywallB,seeninFigure3whichled
toawaterleakandledtoitsinking.BoatA,therecordofwhichisshowninFigure2,did
nothaveenoughsurfaceareaonthebottomoftheboat,andtheforceofgravityovercame
itquickly,leadingtoitsinking.Thissupportsthehypothesisthatboatswithlargersurface
areascanholdmorepennies.Buoyancyistheresistingforcetogravity.Thingscanonly
floatonwateriftheforceofbuoyancysupportingthemisstrongerthantheforceofgravity.
Thisiswhyitisbettertohavealargersurfacearea,asalargersurfaceareawouldleadto
anoverallgreatersupport.Allofthewinningboatshadaverylargeamountofsurfacearea/
averylargebottomwhichsupportsthehypothesis.Curvededgesalsoseemedtosupport
morepennies,asseeninFigure2wherebothGroupAandGroupDhadroundededges,
whilsttheothersweresquare.THeroundededgesofBoatDareseeninFigure4.Boats
thathadverythinwallsalsoseemedmorevulnerabletocollapse.GroupDBoatDhad
edgesthatwerescrunchedandfoldedtomakethickerwalls,theyalsohadacircularboat
anditheldthemostpennies.

Sourcesoferrorinthislabmayhaveincludedallowingtheboattotouchthesidesofthe
bucket,whichwouldgiveinmoresupportandallowittoholdmorepennies,andnotputting
thepenniesinatthecorrectthreesecondtimeintervals.Theplacementofthepenniesin
theboatalsohadaverylargeeffectaboutwhentheboatsankandhowmanypenniesit
couldhold.Groupsthatplacedpenniesincirclesandevenlydistributedtheweightofthe
penniesheldmore.Thisisbecauseifaboathasmoreweightononeside,itwillbecome
lopsidedandsink.IfIweretoredesignmyboatIwouldroundtheedgesmore,andIwould
havemoresurfaceareaonthebottom.Thisisbecausethedatasuggeststhatrounded
bettersupporttheweightofthepennies.Thedataalsoshowedthatanincreaseofsurface
areaonthebottomoftheboatledtobettersupportofthepennies.

Conclusion
Thepurposeofthislabwastotesthowmanypenniesanaluminiumboatmadeout
oftinfoilcouldcarry.Thepurposewasalsotoseewhatfactorssuchassurfaceareaand
shapewouldinfluencehowbuoyanttheboatwas.Thiswasachievedbymakingaboatout
ofa6by6sheetoftinfoil,placingitinabucketofwater,placingpenniesinatthree
secondintervals,andcomparingtheresultstodifferentclassmates.Somesourcesoferror
foundintheprocedurecouldhavebeenthattheboatscouldhavebeensupportedbythe
edgesofthebucket,wetpenniesthatleadtoanincreaseofweight,andthatgroupscould
havemissedthethreesecondtimeintervalandputpenniesintoolateortooearly.The
mainfindingsofthislabwerethatanincreaseofsurfaceareaonthebottomofboatsledto
abettersupportofweightandalsothatroundededgesatthesidesoftheboatledtoan
increaseinpennies.Iftheexperimentweretoberecreated,allofthepenniesshouldbe
driedbeforetheyareputintheboatssothattheboatsdonthavetoholdextraweight,and
twopeopleshouldbeputtinginpenniessothatathreesecondintervalisnotmissed.

IhavecompletedthislabinaccordancewiththeNewarkAcademyHonorCode.
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