Creation #1: Wind-up Plastic Bottle Boat

Hello! We are very happy that you have joined us today to create a rubber powered wind-up plastic bottle boat. Not only is this creation extremely fun and enjoyable, but you also get to play with it in water like an actual boat! Down below is a list of steps that you can use to create your boat, but feel free to add your own touches!

Materials

• Plastic Water Bottle

• Rubber bands (2-4)

• Plastic Spoons (2)

• 2 wooden pencils or rulers

• Glue Gun/Glue

• Scissors

• Sharpie

Step 1:

Lay the plastic bottle on its long side (cap side facing the front). Attach two pencils on the side of the bottle, 5 inches from the bottle cap. You can use a glue gun or strong tape to hold them in place. This connection is very important for the boat, so make sure that the pencils are secured well.

Step 2:

Take the two spoons, and cut the handle until the stem. The photo below indicates roughly where to cut the spoon.

 Glue the two cut spoon parts so that the curved parts are facing the opposite directions. If needed, you can also use strong tape to add more reinforcement. This will act as a propeller for your boat.

Step 3

This is the final step, but it is complex. We will be attaching the propeller to the boat to make it rubber powered.

Part 1: Put three rubber bands around the ends of the two pencils. Glue or tape the rubber bands to the pencils, so that they are held in place.

Part 2: Next, place the spoon between the rubber bands. Make sure that the orientation is the same as the one shown in the photo. Once you put the spoon propeller between the rubber bands, glue it in place. Refer to the photos if you need help assembling the boat.

Make sure to rotate the spoon propeller in the right direction, so that you can maximize speed and the boat will go forward. Lastly, try it out in the water and have fun!

The science behind this creation:

When we wind up the propeller spoons, energy is stored in the rubber bands. This energy is called the potential energy because the rubber bands have the potential to do work. When we let go of the propeller, the rubber band moves. The potential energy is converting to kinetic energy as the rubber band untwists. Kinetic energy is the energy an object has when it is in motion. This movement by the rubber band causes the propeller to move, which ultimately helps the boat move forward.

When the propeller moves, it exerts a force on the water. The water in turn everts a force on the propeller which helps the boat move forward. This principle is known as the Newton's Third Law, which says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Also if you were wondering why the spoons have to be oriented a certain way, it's because the way we oriented them helps maximize the speed of the boat. The inside of the spoon helps scoop more water particles which leads to more speed.

This is our boat in action!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/11d351_5b6bc408be444e0e89683d3f9b444778/1080p/mp4/file.mp4