Sink or Float? Engineering Solutions for a Sticky Situation
Why do some objects float while others sink? Students make sense of this phenomenon by engaging in the science and engineering practices of asking questions and defining problems, using models, and designing solutions. Students then apply what they discover to solve everyday situations, such as preventing a car from sinking. In this activity, students build a road out of Jell-O that is sturdy enough to drive a toy car across without sinking. Using the full engineering design process, students research and choose available ingredients that will support their car. After research, students investigate which ingredients will help make their Jell-O as strong as possible to protect their car from sinking in the “mud”. They test their prototype to see if the toy car will be able to drive across the Jell-O without sinking. The teams evaluate the process, improve the design, and recreate if needed. Students discuss their design, data, and final results in front of the class.
How can we design a way to get heavy objects “unstuck,” such as this large truck?Copyright 2013 Waffen5 (CC BY-SA 3.0) Wikimedia Commons,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24890877
Engineers face problem solving situations every day and use the engineering design process to solve their problems. Engineers must understand the concept of density in relation to objects sinking or floating when designing engineering solutions. The engineering design process that takes place in the classroom during this activity is similar to what many engineers do in their profession.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Make sense of why objects sink or float.
- Keep pictorial and written records of investigations.
- Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a simple problem and solve it through the development of a new or improved object.
- Have a basic understanding of the engineering design process.