As part of British Science Week, Primary 5 to 7 pupils went outdoors to learn about vessel design by applying science Building on developing the young workforce, the children first watched a video that showed the different vessels that are used both in deep sea and coastal waters for a range of different jobs in the subsea industry.
We decided to explore different bow shape designs to see if we could determine which style might be the most streamlined. We set up an experiment where we created a section of sea by using guttering filled with water. We then tied string to each of our ‘vessels’, each with a different shaped bow.
The children decided that the same person should gently pull each vessel along by the string. They determined that this would be a fairer test as the same person was more likely to apply the same pulling force each time, keeping the conditions as close to the same as possible for each test.
We timed how long it took for each vessel to travel from one end of the guttering to the other. The results were as follows:
- Pointed bow = 14.02s
- Rounded bow = 15.2s
- Flat bow = 15.66s
The children concluded that the pointed bow was the most streamlined as it took less time to travel the distance. They felt that this was because the shape reduced friction, offering low resistance through the water.
# Successful Learners
