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?