How can you use wine corks to build a stable boat?

In our 2nd installment on using cork for science, we investigate how to use cork to build a stable boat. In this case, we are referring to a small, toy boat - not one someone would actually sit in. Try building your boat in various configurations and decide which build you think makes it the most stable. Do you have other ideas? If so, build them and see if they are as stable as you had expected. Feel free to tag us #jelinekcork

Cork, as we know, is extremely buoyant. This is one of its innate characteristics. This is due to its light-weight, honeycomb cell structure

BOAT STABILITY EXPERIMENT

Material List:

  • Wine corks - natural or agglomerate as opposed to synthetic (about 20 unless you want to take apart and rebuild your boat each time)

  • Rubber bands or glue

  • Toothpicks

  • Pieces of paper for the sail (cut these into the desired shape)

  • Bowl or sink full of water

Trial 1: One Cork

  1. A single cork is used as the base of the boat

  2. Push a toothpick into the center of the cork to act as the boat’s mast

  3. Attach the sail to the toothpick by skewering the paper sail

  4. Place in a sink or bowl of water

  5. Observe what happens? Is it stable?

 
single wine cork as a boat

A single wine cork is used as the base of this boat. Will it be stable or will it tip over?

 

Trial 2: Two Corks

  1. Two corks are used, side-by-side as the bottom of the boat

  2. Either glue the two corks together, side-by-side OR use a rubber band to hold them together

  3. Attach a mast and sail (as above)

  4. Place in a sink or bowl of water

  5. Observe what happens? Is it stable?

Trial 3: Three Corks, Side-by-side configuration

  1. Arrange three corks, side-by-side as the base of the boat

  2. Follow steps 2-5 above

 
three wine corks used as a base of a boat

Will this configuration of wine corks be stable or will the boat tip over?

 

Trial 4: Three Corks, 2 side-by-side, 1 on top configuration

  1. Arrange three corks in a pyramid configuration (2 in the bottom row and one on top)

  2. Follow steps 2-5 above

Continue with as many corks and configurations as you wish. Which configuration do you think is the most stable?

Note: With some configurations, the corks will stay together better with glue than with a rubber band.

5 wine corks and this boat is floating upright

This configuration of wine corks looks like it makes this boat pretty stable.

Wine corks used to create a boat to test stability

This configuration of wine corks does not seem to make this boat very stable.