Corrugated cardboard. Any thickness
is acceptable but it must be corrugated.
Tape. Any type. Any amount, with restrictions on placement. See below.
NO OTHER MATERIALS ARE PERMITTED.
Boats will be inspected before, during, and after the race:
The entire boat must be made of corrugated cardboard. This includes everything within the boat, the superstructure of the boat, and the outer hull.
Maximum length is 8 feet. Also remember
the boat must be transported in a truck or some other vehicle to
Only the seams and joints may be taped, not the entire boat. This means you may only tape where you put two pieces of cardboard together. When taping seams, only 1.5 inches of tape can overlap the seam. That's a maximum of three total inches across a seam.
The occupants of your boat (minimum of two) should be good swimmers. Life jackets will be worn.
When viewing your boat from the side, all passengers' chins must be visible.
Boats may be propelled through the water by utilizing the oars that will be provided, or constructing a device that will power the vessel such as a paddle wheel (out of cardboard and tape).
No arms or legs may be in the water to assist with stability or propulsion.
To qualify as a finisher, both teammates must be in the boat at the end of the race. If someone falls out, they should get back in as soon as possible and continue the race.
We will race the boats one at a time. Three to five people on the shore will time the boats.
Before the race, rules and safety procedures will be further clarified.
When it is your turn, bring your boat to the edge of the dock and prepare to load and go. DO NOT ENTER THE WATER UNTIL TOLD TO DO SO. Your race time begins with the boat outside of the water. Therefore, carefully but quickly getting into the boat is one of your goals.
The race ends when your boat reaches the other designated dock. At this time remove your boat from the water and take it out of the lake. As it mentions above, both riders must be in the boat at the finish for the race to count.
Boat must also be properly
disposed. We will not leave materials in
the trash cans at
20 points is based on the performance of the boat.
20 = Crew successfully piloted boat across the entire distance.
16 = Crew piloted boat across one-half of the distance.
12 = Crew successfully launched their boat.
20 points is earned by building a boat that follows the rules.
50 points is based on the quality of your design, including the research done. The day before the race your group must turn in:
10 = A neat diagram of the boat, labeled with accurate dimensions. The boat should be drawn from three points of view: side, top (or bottom), and front (or back).
10 = A calculation of the volume of your boat and the mass or weight of the boat when loaded. Show your work and/or explain how you found any values used.
10 = Use Archimedes' principle to explain why you believe your boat will float. This should include words and calculations.
10 = A list of resources consulted, including people.
10 = A report explaining the reasons for your design. This should include specific physics principles.
10 points is based on a summary report due the day after the race. This part must be done individually. Please write this in paragraph form, using the following questions to guide you.
State your results, and how you felt about your performance and the race in general.
After seeing all the boats, what design(s) impressed you the most?
Based
on your time and distance traveled, calculate your velocity.
What other factors besides Archimedes' principle must be considered when creating a boat?
Make suggestions for next year's race.
****Any person purposely
getting into the water or assisting another person into the water (jumping in,
shoving, dunking, etc.) will receive a 50 % deduction in their grade.****
Some information taken from the web pages of Peggy E. Schweiger, http://www.crpc.rice.edu/CRPC/GT/pschweig