Soap Boat Float

Every year we do a project where students bring a bar of non-Ivory soap. They carve the soap to resemble a boat. The object is for them to make a boat that will float.

Here are some of the students carving their boats.




After they carve their boats, I ask them why they chose to carve them the way they did. Here are some of the responses.







Most of the boats did float. Boats that had holes in the bottom, or that had low walls on the side did tend to sink. It was demonstrated that the soap would all sink if pushed under water. Afterwards, we discussed why some of the boats floated while others didn't.