Lesson 2: Balance on the Water: Stability and Displacement
Duration of Days: 2.5
Lesson Objective
Students will analyze how the width (beam) and shape of pontoons affect the vessel's center of gravity and resistance to capsizing.
1. Why is a pontoon boat more stable than a canoe?
2. How does the distance between the two hulls change the boat's "tipping point"?
Center of Buoyancy, Center of Gravity, Capsize, Beam, Draft
ENG.05.02: Analyze the effects of loads on structures and systems.
Students assemble their dual-pontoon chassis. They perform "Incline Tests" by adding weight to one side of the deck to determine the angle at which the boat flips.
Purpose: To understand the relationship between hull geometry and safety.
DOK Level: Level 3 (Strategic Thinking).
Use "Stability Blocks" (different widths of wood/foam) to allow students to feel the difference in resistance before building their actual boat.
A sketch in the engineering journal showing the "forces at play" when a boat leans to one side.
Pontoon hulls, deck platforms (corrugated plastic/wood), lead weights, protractors.