Physics Project: The Famous Foil Boat

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on increasing the volume of a foil boat to enhance its buoyancy and capacity to hold weight, specifically pennies. Key insights include that volume is directly related to the cube of the radius (r^3), while surface area correlates with the square of the radius (r^2). Participants confirm that scaling up the boat's size and making the hull deeper are effective strategies to increase volume. There are no restrictions on the amount of foil used, but structural integrity must be considered when designing the boat.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of buoyancy principles
  • Basic geometry concepts, particularly volume and surface area calculations
  • Familiarity with the relationship between radius and volume in three-dimensional shapes
  • Knowledge of structural integrity in material science
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of buoyancy in fluid mechanics
  • Explore geometric scaling laws and their applications in design
  • Investigate materials that enhance structural integrity for lightweight designs
  • Learn about the physics of displacement and its role in boat design
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for students in physics, engineering, and design fields, particularly those working on projects related to buoyancy, boat design, and material properties.

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Homework Statement


I know that (for a given mass) the volume of an object affects its density. The greater the volume, the lower the density; the lesser the volume, the higher the density. Thus, the lower the density, the more pennies the boat can hold before sinking.
My question is, how can I increase my boat's volume?


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


As a geometry and human anatomy & physiology student, I had to research all the basics of buoyancy on my own.
I've asked my math teacher how, but she doesn't know how, as she's my geometry teacher. Prior to asking, I've typed many variations of "how to increase volume" in search engines, only to find "how to increase semen volume!" and the such. :(
Thank you in advance.
 
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Are you there rules for the amount of foil used?

Since it's all about volume displaced, you can make the hull deeper; you can also scale the boat up, since volume goes as r^3 and surface area(weight in this case) goes as r^2.
 
There are no rules for amount of foil used.
I'm sorry, what does r stand for?
 
Just radius in general. You know how people make jokes about physicists approximating things with spheres? That's what I was doing. But it remains true. As something "gets bigger" volume grows quicker than surface area. So a larger boat will displace more volume of water per amount of foil. The limiting factor is structural integrity of the foil, I guess.
 

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