Things needed:
A foam tray (a piece of thermocol, the white packing material) or a piece of level cardboard. A large container of water, something like a tray or a fish-tank Liquid dish soap. A toothpick
What to do:
Cut the foam tray, thin thermocol or cardboard into a boat shape-straight on one side and a triangle on the other. A good size will be about 2 inches long. Remove a tiny triangle-shaped piece of thermocol/cardboard from the flat side of the boat. Dip the toothpick into liquid soap and use the toothpick to put soap onto the sides of the notch (opening) at the back of the boat. Place the boat carefully on the surface of the water and watch it scoot across the water for several seconds- that’s your soap-powered boat! To speed off the boat again, you must rinse the thermocol to remove any soap from the previous demonstration
Observation:
Soap is a surfactant-it breaks down the surface tension of water. As the surface tension is broken up, it creates enough of a force to push the lightweight boat across the surface.
Results:
Answer: Will warm water work better than cold water? What materials can you put on the boat (a tiny flag? A pole?) to decorate it? What will make it sink?
Picture Credit : Google
