SAN ANTONIO – Hello parents, teachers and students!
Are you looking for something fun to do at home that has a little bit of science behind it?
Check out KSAT 12 photojournalist Bill Caldera and his son William demonstrate an at-home science experiment that included building a float and determining how many pennies it will hold. It’s a fun opportunity to learn while using water.
And be sure to check out GMSA@9 on Wednesdays when Meteorologist Kaiti Blake does science demonstrations and explains the reasoning behind it.
Interested KSAT Kids can submit video of themselves doing an at-home science experiment by using the hashtag #ksatkids, and we will show off some of the submissions during the GMSA@9 newscast. Be sure to include your name and grade level with your submission.
Design a boat to float
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Suggested Materials: aluminum foil, pennies or other small weighted objects, and a container or a sink filled with water.
Questions to ask:
- What materials will you use?
- What design features work best?
- Which materials worked best in your design? Which improvements did you need to make?
- How many pennies was your boat able to hold without sinking?
Procedure/Instructions:
- Create and label a sketch with the materials you will need.
- Design and build your boat. Test your design. Does it float? Make improvements if needed.
- Try adding one penny at a time to your boat. Can you think of a way to improve your design so that it might hold more weight?
- Try creating a second boat using another type of material. What design features work best?