Diving into buoyancy: exploring the Archimedes principle through engineering

TL;DR

This paper presents an educational project where middle school students build submarines to understand Archimedes' principle through hands-on engineering, aiming to correct misconceptions about buoyancy.

Contribution

It introduces a practical, project-based approach to teaching buoyancy, linking theoretical concepts with engineering design to enhance conceptual understanding.

Findings

Students improved understanding of buoyancy concepts.

Hands-on building facilitated misconception correction.

Engagement increased through practical application.

Abstract

In our daily lives, we observe objects sinking, floating, or rising when immersed in a fluid. The Archimedes principle, which explains an object's behavior when immersed in a fluid, is important in fluid mechanics; however, it is a relatively complex concept for middle school students to grasp, as they often harbor misconceptions. To initiate conceptual change among students regarding the misconception "heavy objects sink and light objects float," I created a project during which students build a stable submarine that uses fluid transfers to move up, down, and forward while carrying a load. Students must take into account several variables, from the design of the submarine to the choice of materials. Additionally, students write a report that includes a user manual, challenges they encountered and how they overcame those challenges, and a detailed text that links theory to their submarine.