On Wednesday night at Winston Science over 70 teams competed in the Boats, Boats, Boats! competition. Teams of 1-4 students created a boat using a 30 inch square of aluminum foil. They brought the model that they had created previously and then recreated it with a fresh piece of aluminum foil to use for the competition. The competitors then had to place a piece of tissue paper in it (dry cargo) and add pennies one at a time. The goal was to be able to carry the most pennies while keeping the dry cargo dry.

This exercise explored Archimedes Principle. When an object is in the water, gravity pulls it down and the object displaces some of the water. This is called bouyancy. Boat designers consider bouyancy as well as friction when deciding the shape of a boat's hull. A boat designed for speed must have enough friction to stay afloat, but surface area must be minimized to decrease the effects of friction. On the other hand, an object designed to carry a heavy weight, such as a cargo ship, must be designed with greater dispalcement.

The students from many schools had a great time testing their boat designs and engaging in friendly competition. The winners of Boats, Boats Boats were:

Grades 1-5

1st place – Blake Foster and Tate Trammel – Prestonwood Christian Academy

2^nd place – Jacob Jones – Walnut Glen Academy

3^rd place – Cole Rumsey and Jackson Shuler – Prestonwood Christian Academy

Grades 6-8

1^st place – Katie Johnston and Emily Brull – Prestonwood Christian Academy

2^nd place – Maya Maasoumi – The Winston School

3^rd place – Mary James – St. Luke’s Catholic School

Winston Science has been in full swing since November 1 and continues until November 8th. For information or to register for an event please visit The Winston School's website at www.winston-school.org