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Sink, Swim & Float! 6 Sensational Science Experiments

When you’re a parent—especially during COVID—sometimes, “absolutely not” becomes “whatever floats your boat” a little more frequently. And, because they’re kids, you’d better be prepared for their millions of questions about what that really means, exactly. So teach them with a fun at-home scientific activity! A day of boating science is as fun as it is educational, and we’ve got six simple science experiments for kids that are bound to make some waves!

Balance

How does a boat keep from rolling over in a big wave? This experiment by Science Buddies explains how adding a fin to the bottom of a boat helps it keep balance in volatile waters.

Scientific Principal
When a ship rocks from front to back, or back to front, it is called pitch, and when a ship rocks from side to side, it is called roll. Bilge keels are added to the bottom of a boat to generate a force that acts in a direction opposite to the rolling motion, and this force slows down the roll.

All photos by the author.