Did you know you can power a boat without a motor? All you need is soap! Check out this fun experiment and make your own soap-powered boat!
Materials:
Cardboard, tub for water, dish soap, and a q-tip
Time Estimated:
15-20 minutes
Directions:
Cut the cardboard into a boat shape (video above)
Use the q-tip to add soap to the back of the boat where the slit is
Put the boat in water and watch as it moves on its own!
Think Like A Scientist:
You can try this experiment with different types of soap! What do you think would work better - a bar of soap or liquid soap? Create a prediction and test it out! Let us know what you find in the comments below.
What about trying different amounts of soap? Do you think more soap will make the boat go faster or slower?
Do you think using different water temperatures will affect your results? Why?
How It Works":
Inspired by this experiment, you just made your own boat powered by soap! Soap is a surfactant. This means that it can break apart the bonds between water molecules. When these bonds are broken, the surface tension of water lowers, because the bonds aren’t strong enough to keep everything together anymore! As the surface tension breaks, it creates a force strong enough to push the boat across the water!
Looking for more fun at home STEM activities for your young scientist? Check out our workbook full of exciting science experiments and empowering activities!
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