FUN PROJECT: Ship Vs. Wave

[ScienceOfTheNavy]

This is a rough idea of what I did for my Science Fair in Grade 7. That was 4 years ago, so I can't remember EXACTLY how I did it, but this is a rough idea.

Testing can be varied, as these were the methods that worked for ME. Do it your way, as thats what Science Fair is all about.

 

QUESTION: How Will Diffarent Sized Waves Affect A Ship?

 

DESCRIPTION: I did this project in Grade 7, and I enjoyed it very much. Being a Canadian Sea Cadet, I was able to pay attention to every detail, as I have been on Navy Ships before. I believe I completed the ship in 4 days, working at an average of 3-4 hours a day. My ship was based off the HMCS Charlottetown, a Ship serving with the Canadian Navy. It was about 3 feet long, 1 foot wide, and 1.5 feet high. It turned out great, I painted it, then applied a waterproof coating.

To do this project, you will need a lot of patience. Also, since this project involves Sharp Blades, I suggest you have Parental Supervision, especially if you're not experienced with Woodworking. You will also need a large pool to test in. I used the local Recreation Centre's Swimming Pool.

 

MATERIALS:

 

• Several Pieces of Wood
• Jig Saw
• Nail Gun
• Spray Paint/Airbrush Paint (Optional)
• 10-12 Lego Minifigures (Optional)

NOTE: You can use more than I did, I used more. I just can't remember. The list above is very basic, additional things can be used.

 

PROCEDURE:

 

 

1. BUILD YOUR SHIP. It cant be any shorter than 1 foot or any longer than 4 feet. Take caution not to leave any cracks or holes in the wood, as this will cause a leak. Fill any cracks or holes with a filler. Nail the wood securely together so that it will not fall apart when in the water.
2. ADD EXTRA DETAILS. For mine, I added every little detail I could find from the picture of the HMCS Charlottetown (I attached the picture I used). This IS OPTIONAL, as if you're short on time, detail may not be the most important thing. But many Science Fair Judges do pay attention to the detaill, so if you have the time, I suggest you go the extra mile to make this project look good.
3. PAINT YOUR SHIP. For mine, I just did a simple Light/Medium Gray. If you're modeling your ship off of another ship, paint will be easy to design. But if you built your ship from scratch, this might be a little harder. Painting is optional, but ships with a wood texture are pretty rare. I suggest also applying a Waterproof Clearcoat, as my paint faded after a while in the water.
4. ADD THE MINIFIGURES. This is also optional, but gives your project a bit of extra credit because the Minifigures can be added for an additional part. Scatter the Minifigures around the ship, securing them by either a Lego Plate, or Glue.

TESTING:

 

1. Put the boat in the water. Make sure its about 5-6 Meters from the edge of the pool. Make sure that the bow of the ship is facing wherever the waves will be coming from.
2. Make small sized waves. DO NOT slap the water, as this does nothing. Stroke your hand through the water. Do this 5-10 times. Record any changes that have been made. If you added the Lego Minifigures, record any that have either fallen overboard, or have fallen from their position. Return the ship to its original position.
3. Make medium sized waves. Do this by jumping in the water. Once again, the bow must be facing the direction of the waves. Jump 5-10 times. Record any changes that have been made. Once again, record any Lego Minifigures that have been disrupted.Return the ship, only this time give an extra 1-2 meters.
4. Make large sized waves. Do this by jumping and splashing crazily. Do this 5-10 times. Record any changes that have been made. Record any Lego Minifigures that have been disrupted. This ends the testing.

Unfortinately, I have lost my table that I recorded my results in, so I cant share that.

 

Anyways, I hope you like this experiment, as I loved it and I also got to go to the Ontario Provincials with it! Have fun and give me some feedback on how you did!

Thanks,

Craig