Students determine whether an object will sink or float by comparing its density to the density of water.

This is an educator's guide for a unit on things that sink or float. It includes lesson plans, experiments, and activities. Students apply the scientific method as they investigate whether objects sink or float.

In this activity, students will learn about density by determining how to make an egg float in water. By the end of the activity, students will understand that density and weight are different and that density matters in floatation. They...

Students sort objects according to whether they sink or float.

Throughout the activities in this investigation, students may have wondered how a boat made out of steel, which is more dense than water, can float. This activity addresses that question. Students will see that changing the shape of an...

For this activity, young scholars make predictions about whether different objects float or sink, then test them. They are asked to record their observations and results for each, and compare their results to others'.

Students will explore matter that sinks or floats when submerged in water and that matter is categorized as either a sinker or a floater. Students will work actively in small, cooperative learning groups as well as gather in a whole...

Students find the densities of objects based on sinking or floating in this activity that demonstrates Archimedes Principle.

Students investigate with common objects to see if they can make something that neither floats nor sinks, but rather "flinks" in the middle.

In this science inquiry, students investigate whether volume or density of objects determine the floating or sinking in water. Using a rock and a block of wood teachers engage students in the discussion of density, mass and volume.

Students experiment with items that sink or float, and learn that water's density is equal to one, and objects/solutions with a density greater than one will sink, and those with a density less than one will float.

This investigation introduces the concepts of volume, mass, and density and how they interact. Students will make predictions of whether an object will float or sink after finding mass and volume of an object.

By the end of this section, you will be able to define buoyant force, state Archimedes' principle, understand why objects float or sink, and understand the relationship between density and Archimedes' principle.

For this activity, students investigate whether objects and liquids float or sink when placed in water. As they proceed, they will develop an understanding of what density is. Student handouts are provided.

Learn about density in this hands-on science experiment. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of what makes an object float or sink. [PDF]