This Friday P7 looked at BUOYANCY.
In other words, what makes objects float?
We talked about factors we felt 'might' have an impact and then we made predictions based on that.
We tried various different items and some of them surprised us. Some items which were heavier that others actually floated, so we determined that weight wasn't necessarily a factor.
To prove this, we did the dancing raisins experiment.
We dropped raisins into a glass of still water and fizzy water.
Although the raisins were more dense than the water and therefore sank to the bottom, after a few seconds they started to rise and fall in the fizzy water.
We determined it had something to do with the bubbles. On closer inspection we noticed the bubbles attaching to the grooves in the raisins and acting like buoyancy aids or floats, making the raisins rise to the surface. However, once they were there they popped causing the raisins to sink once again.
Then we took balls of clay, which initially sank to the bottom of our tank, and we moulded them into a shape that floated.
This helped us understand how a heavy ship like The Titanic can float, but also why the damage caused by the iceberg letting water in to the hull, meant it was destined to sink.
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