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Design a boat
Water pushes upwards with a force called ‘upthrust’. (You can feel this if you try to push a light object such as a balloon or aeroboard under water). The shape of a ‘boat’ affects the weight (passengers/cargo) it can hold. The more water that the boat displaces the more it will float and therefore the more weight it can take.
This lesson examines the relationship between the shape of a boat and the amount of passengers it holds. Children will investigate different shaped boats to discover the best design.
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