Curated OER
Buoyancy
For this buoyancy worksheet, students review Archimedes principle and the difference between positive, negative, and neutral buoyancy. This worksheet has 1 fill in the blank and 7 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Weight in Water
Pupils investigate why some materials are able to float while others sink. They carry out a scientific investigation, predict and test their predictions. They record their results in a spreadsheet, and use a forcemeter in another...
Curated OER
Activity # 13 Float or Sink?
Students have seen that solids, which are more dense than a liquid, that sinks in that liquid and solids, which are less dense than a liquid, that floats on that liquid. They use a metal boat to float in water. Pupils comprehend that...
Curated OER
Sink or Float
Students experiment with different objects to test if they sink or float. They predict what the object will do before it is put into the water. They are allowed to play with the items after the experiment is over.
Curated OER
Let's Think About Water
Students explore the different forms that water can take and conduct simple experiments to demonstrate some of its properties in each state. They watch a short video that illustrates some of these concepts.
Curated OER
Sink or Float
Students construct clay boats and predict whether the boats will sink or float. Students will hypothesize what caused the boats to sink or float.
Curated OER
Can You Make A Penny Float?
Learners explore the concept of density by trying to make a penny and other materials float.
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Chapter 3: Density
Six interactive chemistry lessons about density complete with handouts and animations.
Other
Java Notes: Floating Point
A description of floating point data in the Java programming language.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Break the Tension
Students learn about and experiment with the concept of surface tension. How can a paper clip "float" on top of water? How can a paper boat be powered by soap in water? How do water striders "walk" on top of water? Why do engineers care...
Other
Boat Safe Kids
This is a delightful site about boats and boating. Lots of games plus a terrific overview of the history of navigation. Includes a visit to a reproduction of Columbus' Nina.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Density of Solid Objects
In this science inquiry, learners investigate whether volume or density of objects determine the floating or sinking in water. Using a rock and a block of wood teachers engage students in the discussion of density, mass and volume.
Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri Botanical Garden: Giant Kelp
Learn about forests under the Pacific Ocean! Giant kelp is a forest under the ocean that is divided into layers based on the kind of animal life found there. Kelp is useful in making adhesives, dairy products, and pharmaceutical...
PBS
Pbs: Buoyancy Basics
NOVA explores the basic principle of buoyancy. Also included at this site are some interesting brain-teasers related to the topic.
Science is Fun
Fun Science: Bowling Balls: Sink or Float?
For a dramatic illustration of density check out this demonstration. It's simple to do, only requiring a bowling ball and some water.
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Nagt: Density Mystery Canisters
Students experiment with items that sink or float, and learn that water's density is equal to one, and objects/solutions with a density greater than one will sink, and those with a density less than one will float.
Utah Education Network
Uen: 1st Grade Act. 24: Interactive Writing
In this instructional activity, young scholars will listen to nonfiction books about items that sink and float. Students will participate in filling in words to fill in a teacher-created chart that is connected to the information. Young...
Utah Education Network
Uen: 1st Grade Act. 01: Exploration Tubs
In this lesson, students will investigate different categories related to safety, organisms, sink or float, boats, seeds, and water droppers. Students will use exploration tubs to make observations.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Cargo Challenge Problem
Students figure out how much mass can be put in a boat without having the boat go fully under the fluid.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Force Buoyancy Problem
Students must figure out the number of people that can go on a raft without having the raft go fully under the fluid.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Percent Floating Challenge
Students must figure out how much of a ball will be under a fluid when it is in equilibrium with its environment.
Other
Java World: Floating Point Arithmetic
A description of how the Java Virtual Machine deals with floating point arithmetic.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Floating and Sinking Sorting in Science
Students sort objects according to whether they sink or float.