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Sail Cars

This activity demonstrates how wind can be used to propel an object. Students will build sails to catch the wind in order to move the Sail Car as far as possible. Experiment with the number, design, shape, and angle of sails to control the direction, speed, and distance of the Sail Car.

The Details

Image
Grades
1, 
10, 
11, 
12, 
2, 
3, 
4, 
5, 
6, 
7, 
8, 
9, 
and K.
Time Required
45 minutes - 1 hour
Downloads
  PDFs
  Video

Next Generation Science Standards

Disciplinary Core Ideas

  • ETS1.A Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem
  • ETS1.B Developing Possible Solutions
  • ETS1.C Optimizing the Design Solution
  • PS2.A Forces and Motion
  • PS3.A Definitions of Energy
  • PS3.B

    • Cross-Cutting Concepts

  • Cause and Effect
  • Energy and Matter
  • Patterns

    • Learning Objectives

    – Design and build a functional Sail Car that moves as far as possible in the wind.
    – Be able to use the scientific method to isolate and adjust variables to design a sail car that travels as far as possible.
    – Understand how sails capture energy from the wind and transfer it into usable energy to propel a car forward.

    Materials

    Materials for each group:

    • Card stock
    • Skewers
    • Binder clip
    • Straws
    • Foam stickers
    • Craft balls
    • Prepared corrugated plastic sheets
    • You can use any size and shape corrugated plastic sheet. Typically these are 8″x4″ with a pointed tip but you could make them any size you like. Make sure the flutes are going across the car so you can insert the axels!

    Classroom materials to share:

    • Measuring tape
    • Masking tape
    • Hole puncher
    • Scissors
    • 20″x20″ standard box fans
    • Books or images that show examples of different sail shapes, sizes, and numbers of sails
    • Wire cutters (optional)

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