2. 1. Was your final design more effective
than your original prototype? How do you
know?
Yes, my final design was more effective
than my original prototype. The final
design held an average mass of 426.5
grams and only weighed 20 grams. The
prototype held an average mass of 14.25
grams and weighed 34.9 grams.
3. Graphical Comparison of #1
Prototype Vs. Final
14.25
426.5
0
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100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Prototype Final
Boat Type
MasstheBoatHeld(g)
4. 2. What did you learn from
experimentation that helped you to
construct your final design?
From experimentation, I learned that
balance was key. It showed me that
having a blown up balloon and cup were
unnecessary and just weighed the boat
down. The more blown up the balloon, the
lower the average mass held.
5. 3. What variables did you try to keep
constant when attempting to accomplish
the challenge?
I tried to keep constant the type of cup,
amount of tape, amount of aluminum foil,
type of bowl, and type of balloon.
6. 4. After researching scientific phenomena
related to this challenge, would you make
any changes to your final design if you
were given the opportunity?
No, I would not. Based on my research
about balance and center of gravity, that
was the lowest I could get the boat’s
center of gravity while still keeping it at its
best.
7. 5. What did you learn from participating in
this design process?
I learned from this design process that
boats have a lot to do with balance, and
that you must distribute weight upon them
evenly in order to prevent them from
tipping or sinking. I also learned that the
best solution with the materials at hand
may not always be as complicated as you
think.
8. 6. What did you like the most about the
design process?
During the design process, I enjoyed
researching about center of gravity the
most. It was really cool to learn about it
and to see how it affects boats and just
stability overall.
9. 7. What was the most challenging part of
the design process?
The most challenging part of the design
process was deciding what variable to
alter for the experimental investigation.
There were multiple choices that all
would’ve led me down interesting paths.
10. 7. What was the most challenging part of
the design process?
The most challenging part of the design
process was deciding what variable to
alter for the experimental investigation.
There were multiple choices that all
would’ve led me down interesting paths.
