Steamboat Power! A Demostration of How to Make a Steam-Powered "Rocket Boat" MATERIALS One glass or metal tube. Two pieces of strong, stiff wire (like clothes hanger wire) about 12-inches long. One rubber stopper (with a hole through the center) that fits snug in the tube. Two or three food warmer candles (in metal cups). Duct tape. Styrofoam or balsa wood (4 inch by 8 inch, 1/2-inch thick). Matches. Two large nails. If you use wood: Hammer. © Science Projects Website PROCEDURES 1. Test to make sure that your stopper fits in the tube tight. Make sure to use a stopper with a hole in it. 2. Take the two 12-inch lengths of wire. Wrap the wire around the tube about one-inch from each end of the tube, and twist the wire tightly with the pliers so the tube is firmly held by the wire and won't slide. If you use a glass tube be careful not to break or scratch the glass. 3. Cut a boat shape out of the balsa wood, making a triangle bow an one end. (I used star decals instead) If needed, hammer two large nails in each end about one inch in from each end. The nails will help to stabilize. © Science Projects Website 4. Mount two or three candles along the center of your boat. Use loops of duct tape to stick the metal cups to the wood. 5. Take the tube with the wire and mount the tube so the wire will hold the tube just above the candles. For WOOD: Wrap the ends of the wire around and under the board and twist the ends neatly on the underside. For STYROFOAN: Simply press the ends of the wire into the foam. (See picture above.) 6. Give your boat a unique name! 7. Carefully remove the stopper from the tube and fill the tube about two-thirds full with hot water. Tightly replace the stopper. Make sure water will drip out the hole in the tube. 8. Fill up a bath tub, large sink or or other long tub with water. 9. When there are no waves in the water put your boat in the water and carefully light the candles. RESULTS The heat of the candle will cause the water in the tube to boil. The water will change to steam and the steam will escape out the hole in the stopper pushing the boat forward in the water. Questions To Think About Why use hot water in the tube? What would happen if you used cold water? What would happen if you used a stopper without a hole in it? (DON'T TRY THIS!) What would happen if the hole in the stopper were larger? Where else is steam used as a source of energy? How do rockets fly into space? For Teachers >> SOLUTIONS Concepts Illustrated Rockets are able to fly into space for the same reason that rocket-steam boats can move along the water. It's a law of physics that says "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." What this means is that the steam escaping out the hole in the stopper is an action in one direction. The reaction is that the escaping steam will push the boat forward. A rocket works the same way. Hot gases and fire come out of the motor of a rocket. The gases coming out the nozzle at the bottom of the rocket come out in one direction. These escaping gases push the rocket in the opposite direction. Also, energy from the candles changes the water into a gas (water vapor or steam). Many power plants use heat to create steam. The steam is then used to physically move machine parts in order to produce electricity. The candles are lit! Go Steamer! What a great run! Although, it took over 2 minutes get that far. ASSESSMENT Your group is now resposible for making its own steam powered boat! You may change the design as much as you like as long as the size of the boat is no larger than 8 inches long and 4 inches wide. Your handout explains further the project rules and when we will be running the boats in class. Make sure to LOOK CAREFULLY at the rubric on the handout. It lists how your group will be graded on this project. Have fun! ...And don't wait until the last minute to design and build your steam boat. Designed by Alan Holzkopf aholzkopf@yahoo.com This was created on March 23, 2000 as part of SCI 420 Resource Development for Teaching Science at Northern Arizona University SOURCE USED "Energy and Science Projects for Students" Science Projects Home Page Grading Ideas Grading will depend on the level of students and on how this activity fits into the class's curriculum. It also depends on the concepts that are to be focussed on. This activity may be included in a study of any of the following topics: Motion Heat Energy Energy Transfer Steam Power The Environment & Sources of Energy The rubric would outline the group and individual resposibilities. Each student would need to compose his or her own project write-up that includes answers to questions like those listed above. Alan Holzkopf's Homepage
A Demostration of How to Make a Steam-Powered "Rocket Boat"
One glass or metal tube. Two pieces of strong, stiff wire (like clothes hanger wire) about 12-inches long. One rubber stopper (with a hole through the center) that fits snug in the tube. Two or three food warmer candles (in metal cups). Duct tape. Styrofoam or balsa wood (4 inch by 8 inch, 1/2-inch thick). Matches. Two large nails. If you use wood: Hammer.
1. Test to make sure that your stopper fits in the tube tight. Make sure to use a stopper with a hole in it.
2. Take the two 12-inch lengths of wire. Wrap the wire around the tube about one-inch from each end of the tube, and twist the wire tightly with the pliers so the tube is firmly held by the wire and won't slide. If you use a glass tube be careful not to break or scratch the glass.
3. Cut a boat shape out of the balsa wood, making a triangle bow an one end. (I used star decals instead) If needed, hammer two large nails in each end about one inch in from each end. The nails will help to stabilize.
5. Take the tube with the wire and mount the tube so the wire will hold the tube just above the candles. For WOOD: Wrap the ends of the wire around and under the board and twist the ends neatly on the underside. For STYROFOAN: Simply press the ends of the wire into the foam. (See picture above.)
7. Carefully remove the stopper from the tube and fill the tube about two-thirds full with hot water. Tightly replace the stopper. Make sure water will drip out the hole in the tube.
8. Fill up a bath tub, large sink or or other long tub with water.
9. When there are no waves in the water put your boat in the water and carefully light the candles.
The heat of the candle will cause the water in the tube to boil. The water will change to steam and the steam will escape out the hole in the stopper pushing the boat forward in the water.
Why use hot water in the tube? What would happen if you used cold water? What would happen if you used a stopper without a hole in it? (DON'T TRY THIS!) What would happen if the hole in the stopper were larger? Where else is steam used as a source of energy? How do rockets fly into space?
For Teachers >> SOLUTIONS
Rockets are able to fly into space for the same reason that rocket-steam boats can move along the water. It's a law of physics that says "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." What this means is that the steam escaping out the hole in the stopper is an action in one direction. The reaction is that the escaping steam will push the boat forward. A rocket works the same way. Hot gases and fire come out of the motor of a rocket. The gases coming out the nozzle at the bottom of the rocket come out in one direction. These escaping gases push the rocket in the opposite direction.
Also, energy from the candles changes the water into a gas (water vapor or steam). Many power plants use heat to create steam. The steam is then used to physically move machine parts in order to produce electricity.
Your group is now resposible for making its own steam powered boat! You may change the design as much as you like as long as the size of the boat is no larger than 8 inches long and 4 inches wide.
Your handout explains further the project rules and when we will be running the boats in class. Make sure to LOOK CAREFULLY at the rubric on the handout. It lists how your group will be graded on this project.
Have fun! ...And don't wait until the last minute to design and build your steam boat.
This was created on March 23, 2000 as part of SCI 420 Resource Development for Teaching Science at Northern Arizona University
SOURCE USED "Energy and Science Projects for Students" Science Projects Home Page
Grading will depend on the level of students and on how this activity fits into the class's curriculum. It also depends on the concepts that are to be focussed on. This activity may be included in a study of any of the following topics: Motion Heat Energy Energy Transfer Steam Power The Environment & Sources of Energy
The rubric would outline the group and individual resposibilities. Each student would need to compose his or her own project write-up that includes answers to questions like those listed above.