Drop a coin in water and it sinks. Drop a leaf and it floats. But why?
Tap Next and let's become floating detectives! 🕵️
When you put something in water, the water pushes back up on it. We call this push upthrust (or buoyancy).
If the upward push is strong enough to hold the object, it floats. If gravity pulling down wins, it sinks.
Tap the arrows to see the push of the water!
The secret word is density — how much stuff is squeezed into a space.
A thing floats if it is lighter than the same-sized blob of water. It sinks if it is heavier than that water.
Tap each box to find out if it's packed loosely or tightly:
Air is light — things full of air love to float!
Drag each object into the right tank. Think: is it light and airy, or heavy and packed?
Heavy metal sinks, right? But ships are made of metal and they float! The trick is shape.
A boat shape traps lots of air inside. The boat + air together is lighter than the water it pushes away — so it floats!
I'll show you an object. Before it touches the water, guess float or sink. Then we'll test it!
Here is everything you discovered:
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Great detective work! Next bath time, test your own toys! 🛁