Homeschool Corner: Elementary - Does it Float?

Science is so fun. What could be more enjoyable than watching your child learn hands on with a fun science project. This week my 3rd grader has been learning about floating. Why do some things float and others sink? What makes pool rafts and large ships float? Why do balloons float in the air?

We learned that density determines whether something floats or sinks. If the object is more dense than water or air it will not float. What is upthrust? Upthrust is created because water pushes up on things more than it pushes down. So, something that is more dense than water cannot create enough upthrust and it sinks. I know those ships are really heavy, but they contain air inside them making them less dense than water, therefore they float. As for those balloons floating in the air, the gas in the balloon is less dense that the air therefore, it floats.

This is really a cool topic for a science fair project. Have your child determine a hypothesis, and then test that hypothesis. A hypothesis is a guess. Then have them document with photos and graphs what they found out. It would be really fun to have a display of a few things to show the experiment hands on.

I am including a free PDF file  that I created for my son to do a simple experiment on what floats. Feel free to print out this PDF and work through it with your child.

I hope you enjoy spending time with your child. These little moments create lasting memories? Do you remember your science fair or geography fair projects as I child? I know I do, and I want to create lasting memories for my boys!

Enjoy,
Bridget