Pool Noodle Engineering Science Experiment

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Materials

Pool Noodle

Piece of Cardboard

Box of Toothpicks

Coins or small weights

Tub of Water / Sink

Instructions

STEP 1

0:31

Cut your pool noodle into two 6″ pieces (lengths can vary — 4″, 5″, or 8″ all work).

STEP 2

1:44

Boat 1: Attach one noodle to a cardboard platform using toothpicks. Predict: Will it float? Will it be stable?

STEP 3

3:01

Place Boat 1 in the water and test it. Try adding coins. Record what happens.

STEP 4

3:21

Boat 2: Attach two noodles side-by-side to a wider cardboard platform using toothpicks. Predict: Will it float better? Hold more weight?

STEP 5

4:50

Test Boat 2 in the water. Add coins slowly and watch what happens when weight isn’t centered.

STEP 6

7:09

Boat 3 (Catamaran): Spread the two noodles apart with a gap between them, and attach a longer cardboard platform across both. Predict: Will a wider stance make it more stable?

STEP 7

8:02

Test Boat 3 in the water. Add coins and compare how many it holds versus Boats 1 and 2.

STEP 8

9:25

Be creative — build a Boat 4! Try your own design changes to hold even more weight.

How It Works

Pool noodles are full of tiny air pockets, which makes them less dense than water — that's what makes them float. This upward force is called buoyancy. But floating isn't the same as being stable (resistant to tipping).

Just like standing on one foot is less stable than standing with your feet apart, a boat with a wide stance resists tipping better than a narrow one. Engineers use this same design-test-improve process — called iteration — to build things like real boats, bridges, and playgrounds that are both buoyant and stable.

Pool Noodle Engineering Science Experiment

Materials

Instructions

How It Works

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Experiments in The Kit

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Experiment

Pool Noodle Engineering Science Experiment

Materials

Instructions

How It Works

Back to AllExperiments in The Kit

Watch NextExperiment

Back to All
Experiments in The Kit

Watch Next
Experiment